Fire Emblem: Demon of Desire
by digitaldreams0801
Summary: For much of his life, Neil didn't expect much. He thought that he would grow up a regular life for a noble, but all of that changed when war broke out. Neil suddenly finds himself dragged into fighting against the force that threatens to swallow his home, but if he wants to have any hope of saving anyone, he needs to get a group together, which is easier said than done.
1. Forms

**_Update: All of the forms are in. No other characters are being accepted._**

 _Hey there, guys! Long time no see! It's been ages since I was last on here, and I'm here to apologize for that. I'm going to get into the swing of things with my Digimon book soon enough so that hopefully I'll have a chapter out every two or so weeks. My Pokémon story is taking a bit of a backseat for the time being. I'm going to get back on it one day, but for now, I want to get my Digimon story finished._

 _However, writing just one book is never enough for me, it seems. Just check out my Wattpad account. You'll know what I'm talking about since I've been working on eight books at the same time since around March this year. That's definitely proof that I simply can't keep my fingers off the keyboard when it comes to these things._

 _And thus, here we are with yet another story. This one isn't going to be quite like the others, though. In the past, I've created all of the characters for the stories. In Evolution Adventure, all of the kids of the DigiDestined are mine for example. With this story, that's not going to be the case. I'm going to be opening up forms for you guys to come around and make characters for the story that will be part of the main cast._

 _As of now, I have five characters made by yours truly. Only four of those characters have names, but you can bet that they're all going to be in the story. I'm going to need a cast larger than five, though, so that's where you all come in. I'm going to have a form down below that you can fill out and send me via messages or reviews that will turn into characters._

 _Before we get onto the actual form, though, I have a few rules to go over._

 _1) Please no Mary Sue characters. We really do not need a repeat of Fates with another Corrin. Corrin made Fates dreadful and I do not wish for that fate to befall this story._

 _2) Only three characters can be made per person. Try to avoid them all having the same class if that's possible as well. I want to get a little bit of variety around here. For example, my characters include the following classes: Paladin, Wyvern Rider, Pegasus Knight, Mage, and Dancer. You can repeat these, but just don't enter two characters of the same class._

 _3) Only one lord per person if you choose to make them. It isn't required, but if you do choose to make a lord, only include one out of your three characters._

 _4) While I'm at it, try to avoid making too many characters royalty if that's possible, and if you're going to do that, try to make them siblings if possible. This isn't going to be like Fates (again with the Fates bashing, I guess) where only the royals get attention with very few exceptions like Felicia and Jakob. Regardless of status, every character will have a decent role in it all._

 _I think that about wraps it up. Now for the important part: the form itself!_

 **Name: (Enter your character's name here. Only the first name is needed)**

 **Age: (How old is this hecker? The youngest age I'm accepting is 14 by the way so we don't end up with a bunch of little kids)**

 **Birthday: (Why not? You don't need to include the year because only Naga knows what year FE takes place in)**

 **Gender: (Male? Female? Something else?)**

 **Species: (This is mostly for units that can transform into other creatures such as Ninian or Panne for example. If your character can't do this, then just say human)**

 **Status: (Royal? Noble? Commoner? Mention this here)**

 **Occupation: (Ruler? Say it here. Retainer? Say it here. If you want your character to be a retainer but you don't know who for, then say it here, because I have a royal or two that need retainers)**

 **Class: (The fun one. What's your class? You can use anything from any past FE game or make up your own, but be specific in describing them if you go with the latter)**

 **Promotion: (If your character starts as a base level class, say their promotion here. For example, my Pegasus Knight's promotion would be Falcon Knight. You get to choose which one it is, so mention it in this slot)**

 **Weapons: (Which weapons can your character use? If there's a specific weapon they enjoy the most, list it here)**

 **Appearance: (What does your character look like? Be as descriptive as possible. List eye color, hair color, and clothing so that I can fully describe them in the story)**

 **Personality: (How does your character act? Are they like Naesala, Morgan, Camilla, or completely different from other characters? Once again, try to be descriptive)**

 **Sexuality: (Is your character as gay as Soleil or as straight as... I don't know. A heterosexual FE character. I can't think of any now)**

 **Likes: (What does your character like?)**

 **Dislikes: (What does your character want to stab with a sword?)**

 **Background: (What happened before your character joined up with the other major characters? This is going to be referenced a lot in the story for all of them (especially in the supports), so go into detail)**

 _I came back and updated this chapter to include my characters, so here they all are._

 **Name: Opal-Rose**

 **Age: 19**

 **Birthday: October 3**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Species: Human**

 **Status: Commoner**

 **Occupation: Retainer**

 **Class: Myrmidon**

 **Promotion: Swordmaster**

 **Weapons: Uses swords. Personal favorite is the silver sword.**

 **Appearance: Opal-Rose has short honey blonde hair that fades out to a pale creamy yellow color and then pink. Cream braids are wrapped around her head with a small clip at the back in the shape of a rose. She wears a cream colored dress with a gray belt and black boots. A gray sword sheath can be found on her back, which is where she keeps her weapon of choice. Her eyes are a deep brown color.**

 **Personality: Opal-Rose is rather serious and dedicated. She is incredibly focused on keeping those around her safe. She is rather calm and solemn, never blowing her top at anyone. She is tactical and strategic and has a logical mind. She isn't the best when it comes to expressing her emotions, to say the least. She values the lives of others around her much more than she does her own and isn't afraid to rush into danger for those that she cares for deeply.**

 **Sexuality: Homosexual**

 **Likes: Tea, sparring, dancing**

 **Dislikes: Assassins**

 **Background: Opal-Rose grew up in an orphanage after her parents died unexpectedly when she was young. She didn't learn this until she was much older, but they were in truth assassinated due to her father being in extreme debt. Opal-Rose's life was rather regular until a group of bandits raided the village that she was staying in. Opal-Rose found a sword lying around and did her best to fend them off. After the bandits disappeared, Opal-Rose decided to begin training in the ways of the sword for the future. After many years of this, she applied for the army of her kingdom, where she then was promoted to being the retainer and personal bodyguard of one of the royal children. Opal-Rose has served in this place ever since. There was one incident in particular where she came across a baby wyvern named Jazz. Since Jazz was born with a birth defect that made him rather small compared to other wyverns, Opal-Rose took him in and cares for him outside of battles.**

* * *

 **Name: Roman**

 **Age: 17**

 **Birthday: December 4**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Species: Human**

 **Status: Commoner**

 **Occupation: Traveler**

 **Class: Cleric**

 **Promotion: Sage**

 **Weapons: Uses staves as Cleric, later tomes as a Sage. He has a specialized healing staff and a Thoron tome when a Sage.**

 **Appearance: Roman has blue hair and matching eyes. He wears a blue scarf over a gray shirt with black pants. His boots are black as well. He carries his staff in a messenger style bag that is practically over flowing with all sorts of bottles and ingredients.**

 **Personality: Roman tends to be a bit jittery in comparison to collected people such as Opal-Rose. He is very easily terrified and prefers to stay in civilized areas as opposed to venturing into the wild word because of this. He loses his nervous demeanor when talking about his passion, otherwise known as alchemy. He enjoys brewing up unique elixirs for others and easily connects with them over this. He can be excited rather easily over these sorts of things. On the flip side, he is also very easily frightened as was earlier mentioned. Things such as spiders can scare him rather easily and occasionally make him pass out.**

 **Sexuality: Bisexual**

 **Likes: Alchemy, helping others**

 **Dislikes: Anything terrifying, spiders**

 **Background: Roman's parents were merchants once upon a time. He lived a rather regular life for the first fifteen or so years of it, taking an interest in brewing medicines and other things for other people where possible. However, he was separated from them at one point in time, leaving him alone. Ever since then, he has traveled in search of his parents, taking on odd jobs to pay for his alchemy along the way. He was never one for fighting, but since he became skilled in the arts of magic and healing while brewing various elixirs, he is a valuable magic ally.**

* * *

 **Name: Akamatsu**

 **Age: 21**

 **Birthday: January 24**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Species: Human**

 **Status: Prince**

 **Occupation: Crown Prince of Xylia**

 **Class: Paladin**

 **Promotion: N/A**

 **Weapons: Uses swords. Signature weapon is a steel sword he carries with him at all times.**

 **Appearance: Akamatsu has cropped blonde hair with a few loose strands that fall between his gray eyes. He wears a silver piece of armor that covers up part of his neck, from which a light purple cape hangs. He wears black armor with silver and white tips beneath it, as he was trained well in combat growing up.**

 **Personality: Akamatsu, despite looking to be cold and uncaring, is actually a rather nice young man. He cares deeply for those around him, especially his retainers and younger sisters, Hisari and Syalla. He acts as a protective older brother to those he loves and is sure to keep them safe the best he can. He values helping others more than he does anything else, as he wants to be one of the kinder rulers of his kingdom known as Xylia. He is incredibly noble and tactical as well.**

 **Sexuality: Homosexual**

 **Likes: Being with his close companions, horseback riding, swordmanship**

 **Dislikes: Criminals**

 **Background: Akamatsu was born to be the oldest of the three royal children of the small kingdom of Xylia. He was set to one day inherit the kingdom as opposed to his twin sisters, Hisari and Syalla. However, from a young age, he was set up to marry a noble child of Xylia born to family friends of his parents. Akamatsu grew up dreading this, as he much preferred boys romantically to girls. In the end, the noble that arrived was none other than a young mage by the name of Chris. The two ended up being rather close friends, but Akamatsu knew that he would never want to marry her. Over time, Akamatsu noticed how the young noble acted around Hisari, and because he got the feeling that Chris was instead in love with Hisari as opposed to him, Akamatsu appointed her to be his retainer not long after. He also appointed a young man known as Melior not long after following a performance he had put on in the palace. Akamatsu treated both like his little siblings and still does up until the point that the story takes place.**

* * *

 **Name: Hisari**

 **Age: 18**

 **Birthday: August 19**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Species: Human**

 **Status: Royal**

 **Occupation: Princess of Xylia**

 **Class: Pegasus Knight**

 **Promotion: Falcon Knight**

 **Weapons: Uses lances. Favorite is a blessed lance in particular.**

 **Appearance: Hisari has bright red hair that she keeps rather short, which starkly contrasts with her blonde siblings. She has blue eyes and a few freckles like her twin, Syalla. She wears a white dress with a blue strip of armor over the chest area. A blue belt is tied around her waist. She wears tall black boots as well.**

 **Personality: In a word, Hisari is reckless. She's never been the tactical thinker type like her siblings Akamatsu and Syalla, instead being the odd middle child. She tends to jump into situations without thinking too much into them. She is rather brave and bold because of this. However, much like her siblings, Hisari is rather self sacrificing and often keeps her own emotions hidden in favor of helping others out. She is a kind individual with those that she is close with and treats them with nothing short of utmost respect.**

 **Sexuality: Homosexual**

 **Likes: Her family, riding her pegasus**

 **Dislikes: Chess, royal responsibilities**

 **Background: Hisari was born as the middle child out of the Xylian royals. While the others instantly got used to being royalty and grew up to be rather sophisticated, Hisari simply couldn't get behind that sort of lifestyle. She often was reprimanded over this, as others thought of her as a disappointment in comparison to Akamatsu and Syalla. Hisari often felt rather lonely because of this, but around the time that she turned fifteen, she made a friend. It just so happened to be Akamatsu's future retainer, Chris, who he was at the time engaged to. Hisari grew rather close to her, and the two ended up becoming companions nearly instantly. Over time, Hisari began to realize that the entire world didn't exactly hate her the way that she had once thought, which gave her hope for the future.**

* * *

 **Name: Syalla**

 **Age: 18**

 **Birthday: August 19**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Species: Human**

 **Status: Royal**

 **Occupation: Princess of Xylia**

 **Class: Wyvern Rider**

 **Promotion: Malig Knight**

 **Weapons: Uses axes and later tomes. Often fights with a brave axe. Preferred tome element is thunder.**

 **Appearance: Syalla has short blonde hair in a pixie cut. The bangs cover up her forehead and send a shadow over her gray eyes. She wears a silver suit of armor with a lengthy purple cape. There is a hole cut in the back section of her armor that exposes her spine. Her armor has small sections that are black and navy blue.**

 **Personality: Syalla is a rather shadowy individual. While she acts all fancy and formal around others of high status, she isn't like this otherwise. Syalla can be a bit of a creeper, often speaking in a monotone voice and seeming emotionless. Despite this, she really does care for others, though she would likely never admit it. She highly values Akamatsu and Hisari seeing as they are siblings, even if she is the black sheep of the family being such a terrifying individual by merely existing.**

 **Sexuality: Demisexual**

 **Likes: Scary stories, flying around on her wyvern**

 **Dislikes: People that are too optimistic**

 **Background: Syalla was born as the youngest royal sibling of the small kingdom of Xylia. She lived a rather sheltered life, though she did occasionally sneak out of the palace and into the capital city. What she saw often included suffering of the masses, which caused her to slightly dislike the way that things were being done in Xylia. She grew to be rather dark following her many excursions, as she got the feeling that there was little she could do to help out anybody until she grew older. Syalla never mentioned this to anybody, instead thinking that if she grew up acting as the ideal role model, she would one day wield enough power to turn Xylia around and help out those who were suffering in silence under the rule of her parents.**

* * *

 **Name: Chris**

 **Age: 18**

 **Birthday: October 17**

 **Gender: Female**

 **Species: Human**

 **Status: Noble**

 **Occupation: Retainer to Akamatsu**

 **Class: Mage**

 **Promotion: Grandmaster**

 **Weapons: Uses tomes and later swords. Tome element of choice is wind, though she sometimes might use light magic. Sword of choice is levin sword.**

 **Appearance: Chris has long honey blonde hair in curls that reaches her waist. She wears a gray dress with a black cape, which is pinned onto either shoulder via butterfly clips. She wears black combat boots as well with white tights. Her cape is teal on the inside, just like the inside of her oversized black hat. She has glasses on that frame her blue eyes. She's also really short, only being around five feet tall.**

 **Personality: Chris is a rather stone faced and quiet individual whenever she first meets one. After time, however, she opens up to those around her and becomes much more bubbly and sweet. She is lively around those she's close to and does her best to be inspirational at times. Despite being a royal, she's a bit awkward and isn't the most sure on her feet. She can be a bit clumsy at times, but at the end of the day, she's a kind kid who didn't ask for this.**

 **Sexuality: Asexual homoromantic**

 **Likes: Practicing magic, girls**

 **Dislikes: Being teased over her lack of height, being forced into social situations**

 **Background: Chris was born a noble in the small kingdom of Xylia. Her father left shortly after she was born, leaving her to be raised by her mother. The latter often criticized her and pushed her into a small box of what she was supposed to be. She was left with pretty low self esteem due to this. When she turned fifteen or there about, her mother told her that they were going to the palace, as an arrange marriage was likely going to be put into place which had Chris marrying the crown prince Akamatsu. Chris despised this idea and did her best to keep Akamatsu at arm's length. Over time, she began to hang out with his sister, Hisari, and the two became fast friends. After bonding for a few weeks, Chris developed a small crush on Hisari, which she would never admit so as not to invoke the wrath of her harsh mother. Akamatsu ended up declaring Chris as his retainer not long afterwards, much to Chris's confusion and relief. She didn't fight it, however, instead choosing to stay by his side and serve him despite instead having feelings for Hisari.**

* * *

 **Name: Melior**

 **Age: 20**

 **Birthday: February 28**

 **Gender: Male**

 **Species: Human**

 **Status: Commoner**

 **Occupation: Traveling performer**

 **Class: Dancer**

 **Promotion: N/A**

 **Weapons: Uses swords. Often fights with an iron variation.**

 **Appearance: Melior has purplish blue hair and dark violet hair that's tied into a ponytail on top of his head. His hair is somewhat long, reaching his shoulder blades. He wears a white cape and shorts, the cape being transparent. He has a purple transparent ribbon connecting both of his hands. He has two stripes of see through black fabric on his torso area that come in to connect where his shorts begin (think Odin's design as a Dark Mage). He has golden rings in his ponytail holder and on either wrist. His feet have ballet shoes on them of a delicate violet color.**

 **Personality: Melior is a rather carefree individual and tries not to let the world bother him too much. He spends much time performing and thus has a natural way of charming people. He tends to get along with others rather well regardless of who they are. Melior can be a bit of a flirt when it comes to boys, though he only shows this side with those that he is incredibly close with. He is very accepting and loyal of those around him, making him seem sort of like a big brother figure to the other members of the army.**

 **Sexuality: Pansexual**

 **Likes: Dancing, performing**

 **Dislikes: Unkind people, bandits**

 **Background: Growing up, Melior lived with his merchant mother and father, both of whom were kind and open about their lives. They refused no customer unless they had done something overly rude and taught Melior this philosophy. Due to their carefree attitudes, they allowed Melior to be who he really was and express how he felt towards boys, as he preferred them to girls. Melior adapted this over time, but his kindness ended up being dampened when he was traveling with his parents only for them to be ambushed by bandits and killed in the process. Afterwards, Melior left behind the family business, as he simply wasn't able to do the job of being a merchant without breaking down over losing his mother and father. He instead danced as his mother had taught him while she was still alive and traveled around, performing for coin. After performing for the royals of Xylia, which neighbored the small kingdom of Ryson where he was born, he was recruited as the retainer to the crown prince Akamatsu, where he has served ever since.**

* * *

 _As for supports, when I announce all of the characters in the next update of this book, then I'll give what I've figured out as far as who can support with who. Everybody's only going to have around four support partners. After every main chapter, I'm going to go into a support chapter as of now where I move into script format and throw some supports your way. I'm not sure about S-Supports as of now, so I'll figure that out later. Chances are that there aren't going to be child units, though._

 _If you've read this far, good on you! Please fill out the form and hit me up with it so I can get started with this beautiful book!_

 _-Digital_


	2. Character List

**_Update: Turns out I'm stupid as hell and forgot to check the reviews section of this story for any character forms, and believe it or not, five more exist there. Wow. I'm wonderful. The character cap is now 40, but no new forms are being accepted even so, as I got five characters, which took the number of forms from 33 to 38, and I'm still waiting on one. I'm sorry to everybody who thought I forgot about them. Your characters are now on the list._**

 _The character forms are coming in faster than I can count! I did not expect this sort of thing, but I'm happy with it!_

 _However, since there are so many of them, I'm going to need a way to keep track of them. I'm going to write the names and classes of each character in this chapter so that everybody can see._

 _Me (digitaldreams0801)_

 _Neil (Lord, promotes to Great Lord)  
Opal-Rose (Myrmidon, promotes to Swordmaster)  
Roman (Cleric, promotes to Sage)  
Akamatsu (Paladin)  
Hisari (Pegasus Knight, promotes to Falcon Knight)  
Syalla (Wyvern Rider, promotes to Wyvern Lord)  
Chris (Mage, promotes to Grandmaster)  
Melior (Dancer)  
_

 _ZeXal2828_

 _Erik (Mercenary, promotes to Hero)_

 _Blue Wyvern Rider_

 _Kyle (Soldier, promotes to Halberdier)  
Rose (Combat Medic, promotes to Valkyrie)  
Ara (Manakete)_

 _ItsLALM_

 _Xavier (Archer, promotes to Bow Knight)_

 _lightningowl15_

 _Azin (Mage, promotes to Sage)  
Elder (Caller)_

 _Goro-Akechi_

 _Dahlia (Lord, promotes to Great Lord)  
Ricola (Pegasus Knight, promotes to Dark Flier)  
Jaxon (Butler)  
Cedric (Dark Knight)  
Caspian (Wyvern Knight, promotes to Wyvern Lord)_

 _The Fresh Prince of BANANAS_

 _Ellaria/Kasuri (Dancer)  
Cito (Mercenary, promotes to Swordmaster)_

 _TheDisneyFan365_

 _Iniabi (Tactician, promotes to Grandmaster)_

 _A Mutual of Mine Not on Fan Fiction_

 _Victor (Myrmidon, promotes to Swordmaster)  
Jubilee (Fighter, promotes to Berserker)  
_

 _Another Mutual Not on Fan Fiction_

 _Kiyoko (Lord, promotes to Great Lord)  
Selena (Cleric, promotes to Sage)_

 _Angel Of Darkness And Light_

 _Amice (Light Mage, promotes to Light Sage)  
Echo (Kitsune, promotes to Nine-tails)  
Gale (Brawler, promotes to Claw Master)_

 _beeneguy_

 _Tells (Priest, promotes to War Monk)_

 _firespirit2000_

 _Daggoth (Druid)  
Xi (Doppelsoldner, promotes to Guardian)_

 _Stormrider57_

 _Rob (Trooper, promotes to Commander)  
Perrin (Shaman, promotes to Summoner)_

 _Bakururu_

 _Andrea (Bride)  
_

 _Guest_

 _Julian (Thief, promotes to Assassin)_

 _Durbrovnik_

 _Konig (Sword Soldier, promotes to Captain)_

 _RivSketches14_

 _Hanna (Swordsman, promotes to Master of Swords)_

 _A Third and Final Mutual of Mine_

 _Lydi (Dark Mage, promotes to Sorcerer)_

 _That makes for 40 characters. No more forms are being accepted at this time. I repeat, **no more forms are being accepted at this time.** The entire cast has now been added, so the story will begin soon!_

 ** _Edit: I came back and put in the list as far as retainers go. For the royals, I finally got retainers for them, so they're going beside the name of their liege here._**

 ** _Neil - Azin, Ellaria (does not end up as such until later)_**

 ** _Akamatsu - Chris, Melior_**

 ** _Syalla - Cito, Konig_**

 ** _Hisari - Kyle, Hanna_**

 ** _Dahlia - Ricola, Jaxon_**

 ** _Cedric - Jubilee, Viktor_**

 ** _Selena - Opal-Rose, Echo (is not retainer until later)_**

 ** _Kiyoko - Xi (does not end up a retainer until later), Roman_**

 _ **Another Edit: I don't have it entirely figured out yet, but I do have a few supports determined. This chapter will be edited until I have the entire concrete list figured out. Each character will have five support partners in total. Also, potential S-Supports that I might put into the book may be added to this list.**_

 _Neil **(Kiyoko, Azin, Ellaria, Cedric, Dusk)**_

 _Opal-Rose **(Melior, Opal-Rose, Echo, Andrea, Selena)**_

 _Roman **(Kiyoko, Xi, Ricola, Rose, Andrea)**_

 _Akamatsu **(Syalla, Hisari, Chris, Melior, Dahlia)**_

 _Hisari **(Syalla, Kyle, Hanna, Akamatsu, Chris)**_

 _Syalla **(Hisari, Akamatsu, Cito, Konig, Caspian)**_

 _Chris **(Melior, Akamatsu, Hisari, Ellaria, Hanna)**_

 _Melior **(Chris, Akamatsu, Ellaria, Opal-Rose, Amice)**_

 _Erik **(Cito, Kyle, Elder, Echo, Iniabi)**_

 _Kyle **(Hisari, Hanna, Erik, Cito, Xavier)**_

 _Rose **(Roman, Lydi, Tells, Ara, Xavier)**_

 _Ara **(Azin, Neil, Rose, Elder, Cito)**_

 _Xavier **(Gale, Jubilee, Victor, Rose, Kyle)**_

 _Azin **(Ara, Neil, Lydi, Amice, Elder)**_

 _Elder **(Azin, Daggoth, Iniabi Ara, Erik)**_

 _Dahlia **(Akamatsu, Cedric, Ricola, Jaxon, Caspian)**_

 _Ricola **(Dahlia, Roman, Jaxon, Cedric, Caspian)**_

 _Jaxon **(Dahlia, Ricola, Soreiyu, Kiyoko, Caspian)**_

 _Cedric **(Dahlia, Jubilee, Victor, Ricola, Neil)**_

 _Caspian **(Syalla, Ricola, Dahlia, Jaxon, Jubilee)**_

 _Ellaria/Kasuri **(Melior, Chris, Neil, Echo, Jubilee)**_

 _Cito **(Syalla, Konig, Erik, Ara, Kyle)**_

 _Iniabi **(Lydi, Amice, Gale, Elder, Erik)**_

 _Victor **(Jubilee, Cedric, Xavier, Selena, Echo)**_

 _Jubilee **(Victor, Cedric, Xavier, Caspian, Ellaria)**_

 _Kiyoko **(Selena, Xi, Jaxon, Roman, Minette)**_

 _Selena **(Kiyoko, Opal-Rose {potential S-Support}, Echo, Amice, Victor)**_

 _Amice **(Lydi, Iniabi, Tells, Selena, Perrin)**_

 _Echo **(Selena, Ellaria, Victor, Perrin, Erik)**_

 _Gale **(Xavier, Taneeya, Iniabi, Tells, Rob)**_

 _Tells **(Rose, Lydi, Amice, Gale, Daggoth)**_

 _Daggoth **(Xi, Perrin, Elder, Tells, Julian)**_

 _Xi **(Daggoth, Kiyoko, Perrin, Konig, Rob)**_

 _Rob **(Perrin, Julian, Konig, Xi, Gale)**_

 _Perrin **(Rob, Daggoth, Echo, Xi, Amice)**_

 _Andrea **(Julian, Opal-Rose, Roman, Pierre, Lydi)**_

 _Julian **(Andrea, Hanna, Rob, Daggoth,**_

 _Konig **(Syalla, Cito, Hanna, Rob, Xi)**_

 _Hanna **(Hisari, Kyle, Chris, Konig, Julian)**_

 _Lydi **(Amice, Rose, Iniabi, Andrea, Tells)**_

 _Dusk **(Soreiyu, Taneeya, Pierre, Minette, Neil)**_

 _Soreiyu **(Dusk, Taneeya, Pierre, Minette, Jaxon)**_

 _Taneeya **(Dusk, Soreiyu, Pierre, Minette, Gale)**_

 _Pierre **(Dusk, Soreiyu, Taneeya, Minette, Andrea)**_

 _Minette **(Dusk, Soreiyu, Taneeta, Pierre, Kiyoko)**_

 _I hope you enjoy!_

 _-Digital_


	3. Prologue: Heir of Akaria

Many a whisper had left the lips of the people in Akaria. Words were spoken about how something bad was coming regardless of if anybody was prepared or not. Phrases were murmured detailing how war was on the horizon, and within a matter of weeks, it would envelop the small but powerful kingdom of Akaria.

Nobody really minded it much. Hearing that the land of Thotus, which neighbored Akaria, was bound to betray the neighboring kingdoms was nothing new. The nobles of Thotus had never been known to be the most trustworthy bunch, after all. Many had lost count of the times where the king threatened to take over the surrounding countries only to back out before anything tragic could take place. By this point, it was commonplace, which meant that nobody took any of the words of Thotus people to heart.

That all changed one spring morning. Servants of the royal family of Akaria clustered together to mumble broken up chunks of gossip that had quickly spread throughout the continent of Qinia. Thotus took up a majority of the land on the continent, and they had finally used their large population and land mass to their advantage and invaded the small and struggling kingdom of Xylia. Rumors were spreading faster than the plague that the king and queen had fallen victim to assassins. The twin princesses had disappeared not long after alongside their retainers. The crown prince was unaccounted for as well, though many thought that he was hanging out in the castle town, waiting for the chance to escape without falling into the hands of the Thotus soldiers that had taken over so suddenly.

Xylia had perhaps the smallest population out of all the kingdoms on the continent. It wasn't surprising that it would be the first one to die out. Fearful voices could be heard on the wind that reached the retainer to the prince, a mage known as Azin.

The black-haired boy had been alive for quite some time, being a dragon-human hybrid. His aquamarine eyes still held the appearance of deceptive youth as well as concern. In his lengthy life of around 4,000 years, he hadn't seen very many conflicts of significance within Qinia's borders. This worried him, though the would never admit it.

Azin's dark ensemble made him sink into the shadows as he made his way to his liege's room. His pointed ears hid within his dark locks as usual. Azin raised one hand to the door of his master. He knocked gently before opening the door.

The room was neat, which was new for Neil, the prince of Akaria and the one that Azin had devoted his loyalties to. The dark haired Neil often preferred to throw his things wherever he wished. Chances were that somebody had come into the room that morning already to tidy things up, Azin guessed. There wasn't any other explanation that came to mind when he saw the cleanliness.

Neil was asleep, which Azin saw coming. Neil rarely woke up early, and when it did happen, it seemed to be once in a blue moon. Azin let out a small sigh. He shook his head to himself and approached the sleeping prince.

Neil's dark hair was a mop atop his head. His eyes, which were the color of deep chocolate, were shut in a way that had him looking deceptively serene for somebody that rarely displayed kindness when conscious.

Azin grabbed Neil's shoulders and began to gently shake them. "Neil," he whispered. He shook Neil for a few seconds later before letting out yet another sigh. "Neil," Azin repeated, this time louder and with more persistence than before. He shook Neil a bit harder this time around, which was enough to awaken Neil.

"What is it...?" Neil grumbled as he opened his eyes. He swatted his hair from his face as he slowly pushed himself into a sitting position. "I'm trying to sleep here."

"My apologies," Azin told him. "But it's time for you to get up. I'm sure that you're going to be happy for it soon enough."

"Any reason in particular?" Neil questioned. He rubbed his eyes tiredly as he swung his legs over the side of the bed so he could rise to his feet.

"I know how much you enjoy gossip, and quite a few rumors have been traveling about all morning," said Azin. He walked over to Neil's closet and opened the doors.

"I'll be out in a moment," Neil told him. "Give me a minute or two, and I'll listen to whatever you have to say."

"Alright," Azin replied. He walked for the door to the hall, his black cape swishing as he did so. "I'll see you soon."

Once Azin was gone, Neil sighed to himself and shook his head. Even if he was alright with listening to whatever gossip was spreading throughout the country, Neil much preferred sleeping. He wanted nothing more than to roll over and return to slumber, but he knew that wasn't a good idea. Since Azin was a skilled mage, especially when it came to ice magic, Neil knew full well that he wouldn't hesitate to use his tomes to make sure that Neil was up and ready to face the day.

Neil pulled on a purple shirt with dark trousers. He yanked on boots the color of an obsidian midnight sky and tied them up. Despite being a prince, he much preferred to do things such as this himself. Neil had always found it creepy when royalty had their servants help them dress every morning, so he embraced this independence since it was one of the few things he was allowed to do alone.

Neil ended up grabbing a final article of clothing from his closet as well. It was a cape that he had gotten a few months before. Neil wore it from time to time, but not very often.

The cape's fabric was a delicate blue color, similar to the hue that could be seen hiding behind the light and delicate white clouds outside. The clasp that belonged over the chest section of Neil's body was a shining silver, similar to the shade one might see on a newly forged sword. Neil heard the gentle _click_ that indicated the cape was in place and let his arms flow down to his sides.

Neil took in a small breath before heading in the direction of his door. He firmly grasped the knob before turning it and leaving his quarters to head out into the ornately decorated hall of the palace.

Neil turned to his right and walked for quite some time. He received many a greeting from the various servants that worked under Neil and his monarch parents, to which he often responded with a nod or a wave. He didn't have time for small talk, as he wished to meet up with Azin once again. Neil got the feeling that whatever Azin had to say was important, and thus he didn't want to waste a second that he could be using to listen to Azin's words.

Eventually, once he had reached the throne room, Neil paused. Azin was standing outside, arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the wall. His eyes were shut as he thought over various things. Neil hadn't a clue what he may have been imagining, but he didn't really want to ask. Neil valued his privacy, so he figured that it was best to stay out of things involving the privacy of others so as not to provoke them into getting into his space in return.

Azin, seeming to sense the presence of his liege, let his eyes open slowly when Neil was close enough. Azin pushed himself away from the wall gently and took a few steps forwards. "I assume that you'll wish to hear about what I have learned of so far today," said Azin.

Neil responded with a nod. "Yeah. You intrigued me with what you said earlier," he responded.

"I've heard that the kingdom of Xylia has been invaded," said Azin. "The royals have all gone missing or are dead as well. I wasn't going to tell you this originally, but... I figured that you have a right to know as the heir to Akaria's throne."

"Wow. I didn't expect you to say that," Neil remarked, eyes having gone wider than saucers. "I thought you were going to say that there was some scandal involving a maid and her husband or something similar."

"I'm afraid not," Azin sighed with a small shake of his head. "It means that we're going to have to be on high alert. If Xylia has been taken over by some outside force-"

"Then we may be next?" Neil questioned.

Azin didn't respond, instead choosing to stare down at his feet like they were the most interesting thing to exist at that moment. Neil didn't need him to say anything. He already knew exactly what it was that Azin was thinking. It was best if he didn't waste his breath on questions that he already knew the answer to.

"Perhaps we should return to your chambers," Azin said simply. "I bet that you have a few other things to do before going on with your business for the rest of the day."

"Yeah," Neil nodded, though it was clear that his attention wasn't entirely on the subject at hand. His mind was wandering more by the second.

He knew that it took quite some time for gossip to spread since the main way to communicate these days was through letters. This meant that it had likely been at least two weeks since the tragic invasion of Xylia. Neil couldn't help but feel worry rising up deep in his chest. A voice in the back of his head told him that Akaria would likely be next, but he managed to shrug it off as he followed Azin back to his room.

The room had an eerie sense of quiet to it. No voices from the outside could be heard after the two boys had shut the door and locked it behind them. Neil couldn't help but think that it was at least a little bit terrifying. It had been a while since he had last felt this sensation of unrest and fear. The idea that his kingdom might be invaded soon was weighing heavily on his mind. He didn't know how it was supposed to be resolved, so he did his best to push the concept away as far as he could as soon as possible.

Neil stared up at the sword that was hanging on his wall. It had been put there a few years, back when he had turned fourteen. Times had changed since then, and now, things were clearly much more tense. A thought appeared in Neil's mind. Was it possible that he would have to use that sword to take the life of an enemy soon?

Azin seemed to sense his unrest, but he didn't really know how to fix it. Instead of trying, as he got the feeling that his attempts would end in failure, he looked down at his feet in silence. He tapped the toes of his shoes together a few times, the only sound to pierce the terrifying and thick silence hanging over the room.

However, this silence clearly was not meant to last. After Azin had tapped his toes together for a third time, a scream rang out. It was distinctly feminine. Neil had no idea who it was that had let out such a shriek, but he knew one thing for sure the second he heard it.

Whoever it was that had screamed was terrified.

A chorus of other cries followed shortly after. Neil got to his feet as quickly as he could. He went to grab the sword from his wall, but he didn't get the chance. Instead, he watched as Azin retrieved it and gave it to him. Neil felt a rush of adrenaline pump through his veins as the screeches continued to echo through the castle walls. Azin reached into his cloak and got out a tome.

It was heavy and contained an endless number of pages. Azin didn't seem to mind the weight of it, however. He brushed any dust or flecks of lint that may have graced the surface of the tome away before flicking through the pages. Neil knew what this meant. That was the tome that Azin had used a few times before during fights when they broke out between visitors at the palace.

Something truly terrible was bound to happen soon.

Azin dashed to the door and went to shut it, but unfortunately, the chance was not provided to him. The door caved in, wood splintering every which way. Neil held up his arms over his head to keep from being cut by the flying brown tidbits.

Azin scrambled away from the door, the tome in his hand beginning to glow with a dull blue energy. His hand was beginning to possess the same aura. Neil could tell that he was preparing for something bad that was to happen at any moment.

There were three men standing in the doorway. They all wore some sort of uniform, but Neil couldn't really tell which kingdom the uniform was meant to represent.

Azin moved in the blink of an eye. He pushed forward his right hand, as the left one was busy keeping the tome from falling to the ground, and sent a column of ice spiraling from his palm.

"Thotians," murmured Azin, clearly recognizing the uniform when Neil could not. The ice that he had sent forward hit the three men square in the chest. The ground behind them was frozen solid when they were sent backwards.

Azin didn't give them a second to retaliate. He used yet another spell of ice to freeze them in their places so that not one of the three could get up and begin to attack. Neil stood perfectly still as this all went on. He hadn't the slightest idea of what was to be done next.

"Neil, you have to help me!" came the sharp voice of Azin, which snapped Neil out of his daze. "We have to fight them off!"

Neil hadn't ever heard Azin speak with this level of intensity. He instantly knew that this was a life or death situation, so he clenched his fist a little bit tighter around the hilt of the sword in his fingers.

Azin released a third spell. This one was the most powerful of the three, as it seemed to be the personification of wintry cold. The icy blast hit one of the soldiers, one near the front of the trio. He was quickly encased in a frozen wind that lifted him from the ground and spun him around in the air for a few moments before slamming him down onto the ground. The sickening crack of a neck breaking made Neil flinch as he realized what was going on.

That was the sound of death.

Azin continued with his work of quickly taking care of the soldiers once and for all, not minding what he had just done at all in the slightest. Neil was shocked at how Azin was able to carry on so easily despite what had just taken place. Neil could feel his hands shaking with fear at the mere thought. While death wasn't exactly uncommon in Akaria, as it was frequent for people to die out in the villages surrounding the castle town, Neil had never seen it for himself, so he couldn't help but feel surprised and afraid at the sight.

Neil watched as Azin let a fourth spell of icy magic fly free. It spun in the air before hitting yet another soldier, knocking his head into the wall. A small amount of blood began to pool around his head. Neil didn't even have to check to make sure. He already knew that the man was dead.

Azin's fingers spread as a fifth and final blast of power left the palm of his hand. He hit the final soldier square on in the chest. He slid backwards against the icy ground.

Azin let out a small sigh, clearly believing that his work was now done. He had eliminated the three soldiers that had entered the room, 'Thotians', as he called them. Neil knew that meant that they were people from Thotus. Was it possible that it had been Thotus that had invaded Xylia and left the royal house in shambles? If that was the case, then Azin had been right. Akaria was most certainly the next target of whatever cruel plan it was that the Thotian mastermind had concocted.

Azin turned to face Neil, eyes clearly pained after what had taken place. Neil, however, wasn't at all focused on his retainer. Instead, his eyes wandered to stare at the final soldier that Azin had felled not long before. The soldier did not appear to be dead in the eyes of Neil.

As it turned out, the prince of Akaria had been correct. The soldier got to his feet and drew his blade silently before running towards Azin.

The mage didn't have even a second to retaliate. A gasp left his lips as he prepared to duck.

A sword sliced through the air, striking down the Thotian soldier in his tracks. He collapsed backwards, dead for real this time around. Neil, the one who had swung the blade that ended the soldier's life, was left shaking. He stared down at his sword, shocked at what he had just done. Had he truly just ended a human life due to the adrenaline that was still rushing through his body?

Azin returned to his full and rather regal height, dusting off the surface of his tome once again. "Thanks," the mage whispered breathlessly. He was staring at Neil with an intense gaze, not minding to look at the soldier that Neil had ended.

"What... What just happened?" Neil asked, his heart pounding in his chest. He had never been this afraid. The lightning storms he had grown upset over as a child seemed unimportant and minimal compared to the crime that Neil had just committed. "Did I... Did I really do that...?"

"You had no choice," Azin said sternly. "I don't blame you for what you did. It saved my life."

"I just... I just killed somebody..." Neil continued to murmur, ignoring the comfort that Azin was attempting to supply. "Oh gods..."

"I'm afraid that there isn't enough time for us to linger on this any longer," said Azin. He pointed for the window that led to the outside with a slender finger. "Come on. We need to run. If we stay here much longer, then we're bound to end up in some sort of danger sooner or later."

"But... What about everybody here? We can't just leave them..." Neil muttered under his breath. His eyes were still locked on the body of the Thotian soldier before him.

"We can't stay here," Azin insisted. "There are no doubt more soldiers hiding somewhere around here. If they find you, then the kingdom of Akaria will lose its prince, and let me tell you, it isn't pleasant when a country loses its ruler or heir."

"But my parents are in there!" Neil cried out, suddenly snapping out of his trance. "We have to make sure that they're alive!"

"There are many guards around here that will keep them safe," Azin said. His voice was oddly calm, which Neil simply couldn't understand.

Neil tried to head for the door, but Azin simply wasn't having any of it. He released a small sphere of his icy magic, which struck Neil's feet. Left standing in place, Neil let out a cry of shock. The ice was biting at his skin, sending shivers running up and down his spine at a rapid pace.

Azin shut the door once he was sure Neil was stuck in his position and locked it tightly. He even went so far as to use his icy magic to freeze the lock in place to avoid Neil or some other figure from breaking it. Once this had been done, Azin kicked at the ice surrounding Neil's feet, which allowed the young prince to stumble away from his place, shivering from the cold all the while.

"Come on. We need to figure out a way to get out of here," said Azin sternly. He glanced out the window with a small frown. "I wish that your room wasn't on the third floor."

Neil didn't speak a word. Azin let out a small sigh and glanced around the room until his eyes fell upon the curtain that surrounded the prince's bed. Azin got onto the mattress and pulled the dark fabric down in one swift motion. He began to work the fabric into a thin strand similar to a rope. Azin opened the nearby door that led out onto the balcony of Neil's room and tied the fabric to the railing of the balcony. "We have to escape this way," he said.

Neil didn't move, which Azin had to admit he saw coming. This being said, he let out a small sigh and took a few brisk steps towards his liege. Azin seized his arm and dragged him over to the balcony. "Let's get going," he said impatiently. There was a slight edge to his voice. Regularly, Azin would have been able to keep this sharpness under control, but today, there were simply too many things on his mind. For one, he was concerned for Neil and the rest of the royal family. On top of that, he was thinking about the kingdom of Xylia and how it was faring. If things were truly as awful as he was starting to think, he couldn't help but feel worry over the fact that such a terrible fate may befall Akaria as well.

It took a few nudges from Azin, whose mind was still wandering, to get Neil going down the makeshift rope. For once, Azin was thankful that the palace sat right on the back edge of the capital city. He was glad that he would be able to get Neil out of the capital so that they could begin running from whatever sort of invaders that were now plaguing the kingdom, Thotian or otherwise.

Once Neil had slid his way down the rope for the most part, Azin clambered down it as well. The rope wasn't going to take them all the way down to the ground, as it was only lengthy enough to take them down to the balcony of the floor below, and even so, the makeshift rope was only half the necessary length.

Neil let out a grunt of pain when he dropped down from the rope. His rough landing sent shudders running through his body. Azin was much better with his landing, instead ending up on his feet perfectly. He ran his fingers through his hair lightly to keep the wind from leaving it too disheveled.

"What now?" Neil asked, managing to speak for the first time in a while.

Azin wrapped an arm around Neil's waste and walked towards the edge of the balcony. He got onto the railing, his toes curling around the edge of it lightly. "Trust me on this one," Azin said.

"What are you-" Neil, started to say, but he was cut off when Azin jumped off the railing, bringing Neil with him.

Neil let out a cry of shock, but Azin hissed a phrase to keep him quiet his way. Azin held his ice tome in the hand wrapped around Neil's waste. He stretched his fingers downwards. A large amount of icy wind appeared below them, which kept them from roughly hitting the ground.

Azin landed on his feet, and Neil followed suit. His legs were trembling lightly from shock that this had just taken place, but he didn't say a word. He gulped silently, a frown on his lips. He wanted desperately to ask Azin why he had just done something so simply stupid, but he couldn't find the ability to speak no matter how hard he tried.

"We need to keep going," said Azin firmly. He shut his ice tome and tucked it under his left arm. He stretched out his right hand to grab onto Neil's wrist and began to walk away. "We're going to have to keep away from major areas the best that we can so as to avoid the soldiers that invaded the palace."

"This can't be happening," came the quiet voice of Neil. "I just refuse to believe that this is real..."

"I'm sorry," Azin said simply. He wasn't entirely sure how he was to respond to a situation such as this one, so he instead let go of Neil's wrist and began to walk a bit slower.

Neil didn't give a response. "Let's just keep going," he grumbled.

"I understand that this is rather difficult for you," Azin began to say. "I get that much. But we have to keep going forward, trying our hardest to save this kingdom from the evils that threaten to overtake it."

"Where are we even going to go to do that?" asked Neil, his voice as sharp as knives. "If they got to the capital so easily, then the rest of Akaria is no doubt unsafe as well. There's nowhere for us to go, Azin."

"I realize that things seem hopeless as of now," said Azin, doing his best to keep his voice steady and even. "But we have to find a way to go forward."

"We can't go forward like this!" Neil snapped, anger overtaking his voice. "Don't you understand that?!"

"I've been around for a long time, Neil, so I have understood for many years that if things seem hopeless, there's something that you can latch onto for support," Azin told him. "Come on. We just need to find that source of hope for us all."

Neil let out an angry huff and began to walk a bit faster. The way that he was firmly shoving his feet into the ground told Azin that it would be best if he avoided speaking with Neil for the time being. He let out a light sigh and shook his head.

"The village that I'm thinking that we'll come across should come into view within the span of a few hours walk," said Azin under his breath. He was sure to mutter the words to keep Neil from hearing him. Azin knew full well how Neil behaved when he was angered, and to say the least, it was not a very pretty sight.

Azin thanked the gods internally that the capital of the country was near the outskirts as well. While it was vulnerable to invasion, something that had been made clear by the events of the morning, it meant that escape was easy to execute as well.

The neighboring kingdom was one that hid within the confines of many a mountain. Azin had traveled there before. It was rather icy and chilly, but he didn't mind. He just hoped that Neil wouldn't end up bothered by the sudden change of climate that the country brought.

Azin shot a small glance over at Neil. The dark-haired prince was kicking a small pebble along, a frown on his lips. It was clear that he was thinking about the invaders that had appeared so suddenly that morning. Azin internally wished that he had received a bit more of a warning regarding the situation in Xylia. The country had never been the strongest one due to the fact that its people were rarely ever in a stable place financially, but it was still a shock to see it fall. The wealthy had many a soldier at their disposal, and to think that they had been defeated regardless of this... It frightened Azin, though he would never admit it. If Xylia had fallen so easily, even if it had been weeks ago, Azin couldn't help but worry for the safety of Neil.

Azin let out a small sigh and glanced down at his feet. He could sense the anger emanating from Neil a few yards away, which he had to admit frightened him as well. It had been quite some time since he had last seen Neil this unhappy. Azin couldn't even remember the circumstance in which his liege had been this angry years before, which was probably a blessing.

The village would be within their sight in the span of a few hours. Once they arrived, Azin could hopefully find a way to disguise Neil to keep him from being easily found by the soldiers that had invaded. The Thotians would likely be looking for him once they noticed that the prince had disappeared, and if that was the case, Neil would no doubt end up in all sorts of trouble that neither him nor Azin had seen coming.

Azin shook his head lightly as he continued to stare down at his feet. He hadn't expected today to end up this way, instead thinking that it would be another mundane one in the house of the royal family of Akaria, and he couldn't help but be unhappy with it to quite the large degree.

* * *

 _Wow. This took way too long to come into existence._

 _I should probably explain myself as to why this took such a long time. I had to put up with a bunch of school events for about two weeks, and once those ended, I went out of town for over a week. After I got home, I ended up getting sick and was unable to type for quite some time. To say the least, it was a bit of a chore to get this one up when I was dealing with all of that one thing right after another._

 _But I finally did it! It's past eleven at night and I'm on the brink of falling asleep but it's here! I'm going to be finishing a book tomorrow (the final Clan Leaders book as a matter of fact) so I wanted to get this out before that point._

 _The next update won't take so long since it's just a support chapter. After that, we'll be getting some new characters to add to the party. I'm not entirely sure who (I have it written somewhere, but I haven't checked those notes in a while), so I'm not telling you who it is. I wasn't going to tell you anyways, but now I legitimately can't._

 _Anyways, I'm going to publish this and then go to bed because I'm exhausted and still feeling sort of sick. I'll hopefully have the next update up sooner than a month (which shouldn't be a problem since the next thing will only be 500 or so words as opposed to 5,000)._

 _I hope you enjoyed!_

 _-Digital_


	4. Support Conversations (1)

**~ Neil and Azin ~**

 **Neil:** Azin? Could I talk to you for a moment?

 **Azin:** Of course, Lord Neil. What is it that's on your mind?

 **Neil:** I was just wondering if you would be willing to tell me a little bit more about where it is that you came from. I've known you my entire life, and yet I've never heard about your past.

 **Azin:**...I suppose that much is true. I've always preferred to keep this part of my existence a secret, but I guess that telling you about it all wouldn't be too bad.

 **Neil:** You really don't need to do this if you don't want to. It's just... I know how you feel about wars. I was just wondering why it is that you feel this way.

 **Azin:** I've known you your entire life, as you already mentioned. I trust you with my life by this point. I think that it would be best if I went on and explained why I am the way that I am.

 **Neil:** Are you positive about that?

 **Azin:** Of course. Besides, it's not exactly fitting of a retainer to deny the wishes of his liege, is it?

 **Neil:** I suppose that you're right on that... I just don't want to force you. I don't want to end up coming off as one of those pushy royals who acts like nothing short of a diva when they don't get exactly what they want.

 **Azin:** Ahahaha... You could never be that way. I can promise you that there will always be a royal out there with more of an attitude than you, milord.

 **Neil:** I know that I can be a bit of a handful at times...

 **Azin:** It's quite alright. I think that it's nice that you're like this. I can't quite put a finger on it, but... You're sort of like a happy medium of all sorts of things.

 **Neil:** A happy medium? What is that supposed to mean?

 **Azin:** It's a bit hard to describe. Perhaps I could explain it to you another time. As of now, I think that we should focus our efforts towards the war going on at this moment in time. There are countless other things that we should be concerning ourselves with, so perhaps our sights should be set on those things instead.

 **Neil:** I guess that you make a bit of a point...

 **Azin:** That being said, I think it is time for me to take my leave of you, at least for the time being. There are a few things that I want to take care of.

 **Neil:** Alright... I'll see you later.

 **Azin:** Bye.

 **Neil:** Bye... Damn. I didn't get the chance to hear about his past. I guess that I'll just have to ask him about it next time I see him.

 **~ Neil and Azin have attained support level C ~**

* * *

 _Consider this a peace offering. It took me way too long to get the first chapter up, so you're getting a support chapter up the very next day._

 _They won't always be this short. Every support conversation is around 500 words long or so, but since there was only one conversation for this chapter, then it was rather short. In the next update, we get two new characters (though I'm not spoiling who), so the next support chapter might be longer. Emphasis on might. In order for a support conversation to be unlocked, we must have met both of the characters involved (so for example, Hisari and Akamatsu have a support together. Hisari joins sooner than Akamatsu, but we won't have access to their support until Akamatsu joins later on)._

 _It all depends on who those two new people end up supporting with regarding the length of the next support chapter. We'll just have to see when it comes around._

 _Anyways, review responses!_

 _ **lightningowl15** : I was originally going to, but I simply couldn't keep a straight face while doing that. I want this to be a serious story, so I didn't think that calling any of the people involved 'thots' would be a good way to maintain that whole serious thing. Regardless, I still thought about it (or should I say, I THOT about it... My puns suck please don't hurt me-). _

_**itsLALM** : Hopefully, no other chapter will take that long to go up. The next few months have very few planned things going down as of now (just a few school events that I promise will NOT take up an entire week of my time like last time). The next chapter is going to take a while, just not long after. And you're right in thinking that a certain archer may or may not show up next chapter. *winky wonky*_

 _If any of you out there want to leave other reviews to this story, I'll respond to them in the next update. Just a little heads up regarding how that will work in this book._

 _Anyways, I hope that you enjoyed! I'm off to go and finish another novel! Oh, joy._

 _-Digital_


	5. Chapter One: Phazenia

Neil and Azin had been walking for what felt like ages before a trace of civilization could be seen. The air around them had grown somewhat thick and heavy. A chill ran up and down the spine of Neil, leaving him shivering in the freezing air. He let out a small breath and began to rub his arms gently with his hands. "How are you not bothered by this?" he couldn't help but ask of Azin.

"I've always been resistant to cold weather. I suppose that it has something to do with my being an ice type Manakete," said Azin with a small shrug. "On top of that, most Manaketes of my type originated from the country of Phazenia, where we are now."

"Phazenia, huh?" questioned Neil. "I've overheard my parents speaking of this place before. I never went there since they always insisted I stay in the palace while they went out on negotiation trips..."

"Neil, I'm sure that they're fine," Azin assured him, seeming to sense the uneasiness coming from his liege. "I swear to you, they'll be okay."

"If you say so," Neil grumbled, though it was abundantly clear to Azin that he was still a bit bothered by the subject.

Azin suddenly stopped walking, which indicated Neil to do the same. "It appears to me that we have arrived," the Manakete said, shooting his lord a small glance.

The trees around the duo began to appear in smaller quantities. The woods opened up to show a clearing that contained a village at its heart. The buildings appeared to be rather barebones, but it was enough for Neil. A wide smile appeared on his face as goosebumps rose on his arms. "Finally. Somewhere that should be warm," he said with relief.

"We can stay here for a night or two before continuing our trek. Hopefully, we'll be able to reach the capital of Phazenia soon. The royals there should be able to keep us safe from any Thotians that threaten to capture us for their own selfish purposes," Azin told him.

Neil nodded slightly before walking forward. He was on one of the streets of the village in no time, glancing around at all of the buildings. A few appeared to be stores to Neil, so he assumed that this was the shopping area. The residential section would likely be located elsewhere.

"We should buy some food while we're here," said Azin, nudging Neil gently. "We haven't eaten in a while."

"Yeah. I am pretty hungry," Neil replied. His stomach groaned its agreement. Neil had been so busy thinking about the state of Akaria that he hadn't bothered to concern himself with things such as hunger up until that point.

Azin pushed the door to the small store open. A bell above the door chimed its merry pitch rather loudly. Neil flinched slightly at the sound, a frown forming on his face. "Yeesh. Could that be any noisier?" he asked bitterly.

"I assume so, which means that it would be best for us to not think of it," Azin replied with his usual sophistication. Neil responded with a roll of his eyes, clearly not in much of a mood to put up with what was happening around him. Granted, this was nothing surprising to Azin, who was rather used to the outlook on life that Neil had at all times.

There were only two people inside of the store at the time. One of them was a girl who was behind the counter, clearly running the store. She had red hair that was tied into a ponytail and a smile that seemed to be hiding all sorts of secrets. Her pointer finger lingered on her chin as she watched Neil and Azin with the eyes of a hawk. It was clear that she was waiting for them to buy something inside the halls of her store.

The other person looked rather bored and didn't have the aura of mischief that the redheaded girl did. He was rather tall and thin, not having much meat on his bones. His hair was also red, though it was thinner than the girl's and was tied into a ponytail rather lazily. One of his eyes was a fiery crimson color and the other a bright blue. The tunic he wore was of a light blue shade with long sleeves. His trousers were brown, and he had a dark brown arm and shoulder guards. He had tall black boots on his feet that had clearly seen a little bit of wear and tear. He had metal gauntlets on his hands. A light silver earring hung from each ear, barely visible aside from the distinct sparkle they gave off. He looked rather tired and as if he hadn't slept in weeks, so Neil wondered if he was really entirely there mentally.

"Are you planning on buying anything, sir?" the redheaded girl asked of the other male in the shop. "You've been in here for quite a while."

The man let out a sigh and started for the door. "No," he said simply, clearly not wanting to put up with the antics of the girl. It seemed to Neil that he was well aware of what the girl was up to, which was why he was walking out.

The girl turned to Neil and Azin next. "You two don't seem to belong around here," she remarked, placing both elbows on the counter before him. She cradled her chin in her hands and stared at Neil. It was clear to him just by meeting her eyes for a mere two seconds that she was up to something.

"For one, you don't look like you've been freezing to near death lately," the girl continued to say. "Where did you two come from?"

"That isn't important," Neil grumbled. He already didn't trust this girl with the way that she was glancing his way. On top of that, he generally figured that it would be a bad idea. He was something of a runaway since he had suddenly disappeared from his kingdom not long before, so he didn't want to leave any traces of his presence behind for the Thotian army to use to find him.

"It's not like I needed you to tell me anyways," the salesgirl said with a shrug as she pulled herself back to her full height. "I've sold a few things here and there in Akaria. You two _are_ from Akaria, right?"

Neil let out a sigh. "Fine. We are. We ran away since the kingdom is currently in a state of war thanks to Thotia. Are you happy now?" he snapped, eager to get this girl to leave him and Azin alone.

Unfortunately, it seemed as if this girl would not leave the subject alone until she had gotten every single answer that was possible. "You're not just any people from Akaria, though, are you? I mean, that clothing is pretty fancy... You wouldn't happen to be royal, would you?" she asked.

"I don't want to tell you that," Neil snapped, starting for the door. He was sure that there was some other store in the area that he and Azin could shop from instead. He was already more than a bit irritated, and he didn't want to risk snapping from the stress and pressure and end up yelling even more than he already had.

"So you are!" the girl chirped, a wide grin appearing on her lips. She stared at Neil and Azin in excitement. "The name's Anna. Some call me the Secret Seller."

"I believe I saw you one time selling clothing to the king and queen," Azin murmured in recollection.

"Oh, that wasn't me," Anna told him. "That was one of my sisters. We're all merchants named Anna."

"A sister with the same occupation, same name, and who looks identical to you?" Azin asked in doubt. "I find that a little bit hard to believe."

"Say what you like, but it's the truth," shrugged Anna before getting back on topic. "So, you said that you were from Akaria and that it had been invaded?"

"Yes. Thotians broke into the palace this morning, but we managed to escape. We've heard that Xylia has fallen as well, so we're hoping to make our way to the palace of Phazenia to ask the royal family for assistance," Azin explained.

Anna began to mutter under her breath after hearing this statement. She looked like she was considering something deeply. "If I can get these guys to the royal family... Then maybe I'll get paid for it! I'll never have to sell another piece of merchandise ever again!" Anna mumbled. Once she had finished, she grinned widely and met Neil's eyes with a smile. Despite her grin, it was clear that she was scheming up more than a few things. "Alright! It's settled! I'm going to take you two to the capital city of Phazenia!"

Azin eyed Anna for a moment, clearly unsure if trusting this peppy redhead was a good idea. He looked her up and down and appeared ready to declare his judgement on her aloud, but he unfortunately was never given the chance.

A scream pierced the air coming from outside. Azin immediately tensed up and whirled towards the entrance to the store. Neil did the same, but instead of staying still, he rushed towards the door and pushed it open. The door swung so fast that the handle slammed against the wall and left a small dent.

Outside, there was a group of around seven bandits standing in various places around the town. Neil did a quick headcount and came up with eight. He could tell by the clothing these newcomers were from Thotia. They didn't appear to be soldiers of any kind, as they lacked the regular dark armor that Thotians wore when going off to battle for conquest. None of them looked anything like the intruders that had invaded the palace of Akaria not long before.

The scream that Azin and Neil had heard had come from none other than a small girl with her mother. They were standing at a stall that was selling various fruits at the moment, the girl sniveling and crying out in fear for help. Neil looked at her for a moment before drawing his rapier and preparing to charge into battle.

However, he was stopped in his tracks when another figure came streaking into view. It was a person that looked rather familiar to Neil and Azin, and it didn't take them very long to figure out why. It was none other than the man that they had seen shopping at Anna's store a mere few minutes before. Now, however, there were a few things different about him.

For one, he had a determined expression that screamed that he was ready for this skirmish of an encounter. However, despite this determination, something about his gaze seemed a tad bit hesitant to engage the axe-wielding foes before him. He had steel claws attached to his hands as well that glinted in the dull sunshine coming from up above. The aforementioned claws seemed to be a bit worn, as if they had been used in battle before this point.

The man dashed at the nearest bandit and raised his shining claws. His right hand's weapon streaked across the chest of the bandit, sending him falling backwards with a scream of pain. The bandit's axe fell to the ground, kicking up some dirt and frost as it did so.

The claw-bearing man didn't take a moment to look over this corpse, however, instead moving right onto the next figure. It was a woman that had a sword gripped between her fingers. She was one of only two bandits that had swords, the other one being a lanky man with an overconfident sneer.

The man let out a kick that caught the woman directly in the chest. She fell backwards, but used her sword to keep from falling onto the ground. The woman growled in anger at having been hit and launched herself at the man. She swung her sword, but the man ducked under the weapon, just barely, and let his claws sink into her chest. When she stumbled backwards this time, she didn't get up.

"Who is that guy...?" Neil couldn't help but mumble as he watched the redheaded man go about his business of defeating the bandits that littered the area. He was doing rather well for one that Neil never would have expected to be so talented in combat.

Anna, who just so happened to have followed Neil and Azin outside, had an answer. "That's Gale. He's the son of the blacksmith in town, Garrus," she explained. "I heard that he was going off to join the army, but I didn't know he was this good."

Neil nodded to acknowledge her response before going into battle himself. He knew that Gale wouldn't be able to handle the remaining six bandits alone should they coordinate a plan to gang up on him. Neil turned and met Azin's eyes, ready to issue the order to go into battle as well. Azin didn't even need a vocal instruction to understand exactly what it was that Neil wanted him to do.

Azin opened his tome with a grand gesture and threw a hand skyward. Ice magic crackled on his fingers before being sent forwards, slamming into one of the bandits, the only remaining one with a sword. He dropped his blade as the cold sensation spread throughout his body. Neil jumped in on him next, rapier outstretched, to deliver the finishing blow. He had to admit, he and Azin could make a powerful team if they worked together.

Another spell was conjured by Azin in the seconds that followed. Gale was working on bandit number four when another man with an axe crept up behind him. Azin sent an icy blast forwards, hitting the man in the side so he fell over and dropped his axe in the process. Gale left him there, not bothering to get rid of him permanently at that moment in time. Instead, he continued to focus on the female bandit that he had been fighting at that moment in time. She crumpled to the ground in a heap within a matter of seconds, not bothering to get up and attempt to continue the fight when it was clear that her life had already reached its end.

Azin and Neil worked together to finish off a sixth bandit in the group. It didn't take long since the two were close enough to have a general idea of what the other was going to do in regards to combat. Neil couldn't help but feel a little bit proud of what he was accomplishing. He was holding his own against the bandits rather well. The day before, he never would have known that he was capable of such strength, and yet, here he was, in a foreign country, fighting in a dispute he never would have had the circumstances been different.

Suddenly, and with rather random timing, it seemed, an arrow was shot through the air at a rapid speed. It hit the fifth bandit, the one that Azin had used his icy powers on a minute or two before, right in the chest. There wasn't even time for him to scream before his body went limp due to the wound on his chest. Neil stared at the now dead bandit for a moment, curious as to how he had suddenly died.

He looked around not long after, as the arrow had come from somewhere up above to hit the man while he was lying on the ground. Eventually, Neil's eyes fell on a man that was standing on top of a building nearby, a bow in one hand. A quiver was attached to his belt.

His eyes were teal and his hair was a dirty blonde color. It was a little bit messy, but not to the point that it would become overly distracting when in conversation with him. He had an orange cape draped over his shoulders that was rustling in the bitter cold wind that blew through the town. He wore a red shirt with pants of the same color. The belt his quiver was attached to was a brown color. He had boots on his feet that were a perfect obsidian color, though there was a little bit of white snow attached to the bottom of his shoes.

The man pulled another arrow from his dark quiver and put it on his bow. He yanked the string backwards and struck another bandit in the shoulder. This bandit had been creeping up behind Neil while he had been distracted staring at this newcomer. Upon noticing that this man was present, Neil turned around and used his rapier to eliminate this bandit from the situation. It didn't take long for him to fall to the ground for a final time.

With only one bandit remaining, Azin used his icy magic a last time for the moment. It hit the man head on, making him fall backwards onto the ground in the blink of an eye. Neil dashed forward to finish him off, but he never got the chance to take him out. Instead, the man atop the nearby rooftop took care of the job with a third arrow.

Neil scanned the area one last time after coming to a halt in his fighting. It appeared that all of the intruders had disappeared once and for all. He let out a small sigh and lowered his rapier to his side. He made a mental note to himself to clean it off at some point in the near future.

The archer climbed down from the rooftop, hopping down the last few feet. He walked towards the group, his bow still in his hands. "That takes care of them," he declared.

"Who might you be?" Azin questioned of the archer. He still seemed to be on high alert, as if he feared that the archer posed some sort of threat. As a retainer, it was his job to make sure that his liege was safe at all times, after all.

"The name's Xavier," the archer introduced with a small smile. A dimple appeared in one cheek as he grinned. "Who are you guys supposed to be?"

"My name is Azin. This is Neil," introduced the ice mage simply, his voice still even and lacking in much emotion.

Xavier extended a hand, as if he wanted one of them to shake it. Neil hesitantly shook his hand, still a bit unsure about the undying optimism about this newly arriving archer. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" Neil asked. He had never been the best with starting up conversations, but he figured that this would be a nice way to get Xavier talking.

"I'm a hunter around these parts," Xavier explained. "Since bandits from Thotia have been coming over more than usual recently, I've been using people as target practice, though."

"These invasions are regular?" questioned Azin in shock.

"Yeah," Gale replied. "The past few weeks, things have gotten a lot worse than usual."

"Maybe it started up because of the fall of Xylia," murmured Neil.

"What's that about Xylia?" Xavier asked.

"Nothing," Neil replied, not in the mood to explain what was going on.

"You two appear to work hard to defend your village," said Azin with a small frown. "Have you ever thought about using your talents elsewhere?"

"I was supposed to go off and join the Phazenia army later on this week," Gale explained. "The royal family wants us commoners to march off to battle to fight Thotia off for them. They've never wanted to get involved in this sort of thing, from what I can tell."

"We're going to be heading to the Phazenian palace," Neil said. "Hopefully, we'll be able to use their help to fight Thotia. We'd be able to use the help you two can provide us with, if you want to come."

Gale let out a small sigh. "I'd be heading off to battle at some point anyways," he mumbled. "I suppose that there wouldn't be any harm in joining a group that actually seems good rather than a bunch of cold as ice dastards who don't know how to fight."

"So we have you on board?" asked Neil.

"I guess so," Gale said with a small shrug to himself. "Xavier? What do you think of this?"

Xavier placed one finger on his chin as he looked around in thought. "Well... The one thing about leaving this place is that the village will be at risk... But if we stop Thotia, then these raids will hopefully stop happening altogether..." he said. He seemed to have forgotten that there were other people with him as he thought over the situation in detail. It only took him a minute or two to settle on a decision. He smiled to Neil and Azin. "Alright. Consider me with you. I think that we can d something great if we can get the Phazenian royals on our side."

"That's a big 'if'," Gale grumbled with a shake of his head. "You know how the Phazenian royals are."

"How are they, exactly?" asked Neil. "I haven't heard all that much about them."

"Then you must not be from Phazenia. Everybody around here knows how they behave. They're incredibly selfish, and that's putting it lightly. Most of the time, they only ever care about the nobles and other royals. If a commoner comes to them begging for help, they'll at best throw him out and tell him to deal with it. At least, that's what I've heard," said Xavier. "I don't know if they're really that bad, but..."

"There's been a rebellion growing for many years in these parts. Well, not exactly out here, but closer to the capital city, things have been so much worse. There are fights in the streets for medicine in the past. The people are sick of it, and they want nothing more than for the royals to finally acknowledge that things aren't going well around here," Gale continued to say. "I've heard that the royals of Xylia are much worse, though, if that's even possible."

"Really?" Neil questioned.

"Yeah. The Xylian royals are even more selfish than the ones here in Phazenia. They're awful. There are three kids in the family, and none of them are ever allowed to leave the palace since the king and queen insist that they avoid the commoner filth that lives around them. There are so few people that are on good relations with them. People are dying of hunger in the disease ridden capital and have been for years, but the royals don't care," Gale explained.

"I suppose that explains how Xylia met such a terrible fate," Neil murmured. "If the people were dying and unable to do anything to save themselves, the capital would easily be overrun by any sorts of invaders from Thotia."

"What's this about Xylia being invaded?" Anna questioned. She had been standing nearby in silence, just listening in on the conversation that was in process.

"A few weeks ago, Xylia was invaded by Thotia. Apparently, the king and queen are dead and their three children are nowhere to be found," Azin told her. "Phazenia is not the only country being engaged by Thotians."

"In that case, we have to get to the capital as soon as we can," Xavier said quickly. "If Xylia fell, likely because of its lacking government, Phazenia might be next due to the unrest between the rebellion and the royals."

"That wouldn't surprise me. It seems rather logical from a tactical standpoint," said Azin. "That being said, we should get going as soon as we can. Phazenia might be in trouble in the near future, which means that we don't have very long to seek out the help of the royal family if we want their help."

"Then come on!" Anna chirped. "The sooner we get over there, the sooner I can get any sort of cash that those guys might end up forking over for me helping you guys out!"

Neil shot her a suspicious glance, curious as to how she was really talking about money at a time like this. After all, things were incredibly serious. People were dying, and here Anna was, concerned with money. However, the only way that Neil and Azin would be able to get to the capital safely would be with Anna's assistance, so they would have to go along with it for the time being.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we ended up having to fight along the way, truth be told," Azin mumbled. "After all, if villages filled with people are being terrorized, then a small group of travelers will no doubt be called an easy target for any thieves or other criminals looking for a fight."

"In that case, it would be best if we got going now. We shouldn't waste any time. If we can go now and get as far as we can, we hopefully won't be on the road for long enough to be ambushed," Neil suggested. "Come on. We have things to take care of."

"We should gather some supplies first," Xavier suggested. "You can't possibly be suggesting to us that we should just get on the road without any food or water, right? Please tell me that this isn't what you are implying."

"We should get everything we need to together for the time being and then head out then," Neil said. He looked rather worried, as if he was ready to dash out at that moment in time. While he nor Azin was saying anything, they knew why Neil was ready to get going. The longer that they stayed in this small village, the longer they had to be discovered. If they were found, they would undoubtedly bring trouble to the village due to the Thotian army wanting them dead since Neil was of noble blood.

Not far away, another battle was taking place. This one wasn't between bandits and villagers of Phazenia, however. Instead, there was a pair of girls, each one on a flying creature, watching a group of Thotian soldiers down below.

One of them, a blonde with cropped hair, was riding atop a wyvern. The wings of her wyvern weren't beating at all so that the girl could speak with her companion, a redhead on a pegasus. "What are we supposed to do about all of these soldiers? I doubt that they're going to be leaving us alone anytime soon," the blonde said with a deep frown. "If I know Thotian soldiers, and I believe that I do, they're going to be around until we take them out."

"I know," sighed the redhead near her. A lengthy pair of braids trailed behind her, though they were both rather thin. Her white pegasus hovered beside the blonde girl on the wyvern while the two spoke. "Gods damn it all! If only we hadn't been separated from the others!"

"At the very least, this is our chance to show that we can do things just as well as our brother can," the blonde girl told her. She let out a small sigh as well. "Gods, I'm actually being positive. We're as good as dead."

"I do hope that he's doing alright. The Thotians better not have killed him. If that's the case, I'll wipe that dumb smile off the face of their monarch myself with my lance," the redhead threatened. She gripped the spear in her hands a little bit tighter, as if preparing for a fight. "Let's get down there and try to take them out."

"That's not a good idea," said the blonde girl with a frown. She pointed down below. "Look."

Reinforcements for the Thotian soldiers had arrived. Among them were a few archers, which made the redhead's eyes grow wide. "Shit," she murmured. "Come on. Let's get out of here. Hopefully, we'll be able to get away before that archer pulls out any of his arrows. If he does, we're as good as dead. I'm betting you right now that the Thotian ruler wants our bodies sooner rather than later, so it's inevitable."

The blonde girl responded with a nod, so she turned around and began to fly away. The redhead followed after her, clearly unhappy that she was unable to fight off the soldiers that had been hounding them for the past hour or so. She glanced around, searching for any signs of a good place to land and hide. "We can't fly away from them forever. We need to find a place to stay for the night. Our rides can't fly all night long, you know."

"I'm well aware of that," said the redhead. She pointed nearby to a village that appeared to be covered in snow. "We aren't used to the cold that Phazenia has to offer, but it hardly matters as far as I'm concerned. Just so long as we can find a place to stay, we'll be fine."

"Then let's land as fast as we can. Those guys might catch up to us if we waste any time," the blonde girl said. She let out a small whistling sound, an indicator to her wyvern to land. The draconic creature let out a small roaring sound before dropping down to the ground outside of the village. "I can only hope that the Phazenians don't recognize us. If we do, that most certainly spells out trouble."

"I have hope," said the redhead.

"Don't lie to yourself," snorted the blonde. "When was the last time that you were hopeful? You seem to freak out a majority of the time as opposed to looking on the positive side. We've always been the same in that regard."

"I'm trying it out. How's that for you?" the redhead snapped, the dire situation clearly making her a bit snippy.

"It's better than nothing," sighed the blonde. She hopped off her wyvern and stroked the scaly creature's face before starting off towards the village. "Come on. We don't have any time to lose and we both know it."

The redhead left the back of her pegasus once she had landed and followed after the blonde. "Alright."

* * *

 _ **I'm back, guys! After a hiatus that lasted far too long, I'm back with an update!**_

 _ **I'm going to bring a support update to you all a little bit later today, but for the time being, I think that the 5,200 word chapter will suffice for all of your fan fiction reading needs.**_

 _ **Next chapter, we get two more characters on the team. I swear, the two new characters per chapter pattern will end after the second official chapter of the storyline. I can't really say who it'll be, but you can feel free to leave any guesses, and if they're before the support chapter, I can tell you whether or not you're right.**_

 _ **Again, I must apologize for the lack of updates around here. I've decided to hold back on updates on my wattpad page so that I can type on here a bit more. That should help out.**_

 _ **Anyways, that's it from me. I hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **~Digital**_


	6. Support Conversations (2)

~ Neil and Azin ~

Neil: Azin! There you are!

Azin: Hello, Neil. You look out of breath. What have you been up to?

Neil: I was looking for you! I've been meaning to ask you a question since we last spoke.

Azin: Oh? And what question might that be?

Neil: When we were talking before, I thought to ask you about your past, but you walked away before I had the chance. Since we have a little bit of time before we're heading into our next battle, I was wondering if maybe you'd be able to tell me about what happened.

Azin: Ah... I suppose it would make sense that you would be curious. After all, if I recall correctly, I haven't ever mentioned such a thing to you.

Neil: So? What exactly were you doing before you became my retainer?

Azin: As you are undoubtedly aware, I am a Manakete, the type of creature that can turn into a dragon.

Neil: Yeah, of course I know. What about it?

Azin: You see, as nice as it is to be able to transform into such a beast, things aren't entirely positive if you have this ability. In fact, it appears that things are much harder for us than you humans since we have this power. It brings us nothing but trouble in times of peace as well as war.

Neil: Really? But it's so... It's amazing. I don't know it could possibly be so troublesome.

Azin: Not all people are quite as understanding as you and your parents, let me tell you. Many others in the past... They thought of us as...

Neil: As what? You can tell me about it.

Azin: Many others in the world thought of us as terrible. In the end, it resulted in a large amount of my kind meeting their terrible end. I don't even know how many of them lost their lives in that mess.

Neil: Azin... I...

Azin: You see, many of the other Manaketes were killed in something of a massacre. I was a young child at the time and didn't know what was going on due to my youth. I don't remember much of it, likely since the mind seals off traumatic memories.

Neil: I... I had no idea...

Azin: Don't worry yourself. That was the past, and it shall stay in the past as far as I am concerned.

Neil: Do you know if anybody else is left following what happened?

Azin: No... I recall that they all left through some sort of gateway, though I was left behind and raised with another human following this. If anybody is left, I'm afraid that I was left unaware of their existence.

Neil: I see...

Azin: Now, if you would be willing to excuse me, I have some preparations to do regarding our next battle, if that's alright with you.

Neil: Y-Yes, go on ahead... I'll see you later.

Azin: Farewell.

~ Neil and Azin have attained support level B ~

* * *

 _ **Ah, yes. I have returned. I'm back with another support chapter today following a few hours of playing through Path of Radiance. The game is pretty good so far, so it's been eating up a lot of the time I have outside of the typing world.**_

 _ **Review stuff is back this time! Woo!**_

 _ **lightningowl15: Yep. You got it as far as the fliers. The descriptions are just sort of part of my writing style, I suppose. The way I write has always been this way. Even on my less descriptive wattpad page, I do character descriptions this way. Oops.**_

 _ **itsLALM: I'm finally going to be introducing more characters from here on out, such as those fliers. And here's the support update for you! They'll start to get longer in the future, but as of now, since only Azin and Neil have supports, they're the only ones in these updates.**_

 _ **That's it from me, so I'll see you all later!**_

 ** _~Digital_**


	7. Chapter Two: Peculiar Fliers

The following day, at about noon, to be precise, the sun was shining brightly in the sky overhead. However, despite the sunshine, it was still rather cold. Neil figured that he would have to get used to that as long as he was in Phazenia. It was almost funny to him how large the difference was between Phazenia and Akaria despite being so near one another.

Neil and his small company had arrived in yet another village. Anna seemed curious as to if there would be any shops for her to investigate, but Neil was distracted. He had seen a pegasus on the way in, but not just any pegasus. It was one from Xylia. The Pegasi of the continent looked different depending on the region that they were from. Neil had learned about this much from his mother a few years ago, but he still recalled it in detail for some reason or another.

Neil found himself straying away from Azin, Anna, Gale, and Xavier to go and stare at the pegasus. It had blue armor and a white saddle that had seen some wear and tear over years worth of use. The mane was well kept along with the tail. Neil reached out to touch the nose of the pegasus, only to hear a voice from behind him.

"Step away from the pegasus, please."

Neil turned to see a redheaded girl standing a few feet away, a frown on her face. Her bangs covered up her forehead and swept to one side. The rest of her hair was rather thin and tied into a braid that reached her hips. She had a white dress on, a piece of blue armor over the top covering her chest. A blue belt was tied around her waist. Red and blue arm guards hid the upper portion of her arms. On her legs were black leather boots reaching just below her knees.

"Sorry," Neil said apologetically, moving away from the winged creature. The girl approached the pegasus and began to pet it. Neil noticed, since she was closer now, that her eyes were sky blue and freckles dotted her cheeks. "Is... Is he yours?" Neil questioned.

"Yeah," the girl answered simply. She continued to stroke the creature's mane, looking past Neil at something in the distance. A few seconds later, she mounted the pegasus and grabbed the reins attached to its shoulders, preparing to take off and fly away.

"What's your name?" Neil questioned before she could leave, trying to make some sort of conversation.

"It's for me to know and you not to," the girl told him. "Hey! It's time to go!"

"You don't need to shout."

Neil turned around to see yet another girl behind him. She was a blonde with gray eyes. Her hair was cropped short, tight to her face, her bangs covering up much of her forehead. Freckles were splattered across the bridge of her nose and her cheeks. The armor she wore was mostly black and gray. A navy blue cape hung from her shoulders, reaching about her waist. The girl was sitting atop a gray wyvern.

"Is that a..." Neil began to say.

"That's none of your business," the blonde said, her voice neutral. "Let's go."

With one swift motion, the wyvern had taken off. Neil turned around to look to the girl on the pegasus, only to find that she was gone as well. He let out a sigh and began to head back to the rest of his group.

"There you are," Azin said once Neil had come into view. "I was wondering where you had wandered off to. We have other places to be. It won't do if we end up caught while in one of these smaller villages."

"I guess you're right," Neil agreed. "But where's Xavier? And Anna?"

"Anna is trying to sell some of her goods to other people in the town. So far, it sounds like she's made some pretty decent cash," Gale responded. "As for Xavier, he's trying to find another bow, one that's hopefully stronger."

"Once they're done, we'll have to be on our way. Thotians have been spotted in the nearby areas. The Phazenian royals haven't been doing much to stop them from terrorizing the borders of the country, unfortunately. After we're a hundred or so miles in, we should be home free," Azin explained.

"Relatively, at the very least," sighed Neil. "I doubt that we'll truly be 'home free' for quite some time. We're in the middle of fighting a war, after all."

"It's the small victories that matter now, I suppose," Gale said simply.

In the moments that followed, silence reigned over the immediate area. Neil couldn't help but think back to the pegasus knight and her wyvern riding companion. They had been rather strange, that was for sure. He couldn't help but find them a little bit familiar, but he was unable to put a finger on it. Neil tried to brush it off, as he knew that the chances of him having ever seen the duo before were slim, and the chances of him seeing them again were even slimmer.

Xavier walked back to the group a few seconds later, stuffing some of his money into his pocket. "Let's get going," he said. He paused for a moment, doing a head count of the members of the small team. "Where's Anna?"

"Right here!" came the sing-song voice of Anna as she skipped back to the group. She was in a much more chipper mood than usual, likely having sold a product or two to a person of the village. "Are we ready?"

"I think so," Azin said. "Let's get going. We don't have a moment to lose when the threat of Thotia hangs over our heads the way it does."

* * *

The palace in the kingdom of Xylia was not in the best condition at that moment in time, and that was putting it lightly.

Soldiers had been searching the building for quite some time, and each and every time, things turned out the exact same as the last. The expensive possessions had been taken for the king of Thotia in the initial raid, so that wasn't the goal of the soldiers. Instead, they were looking for another target, one that wasn't discovered as easily as a simple material object.

The Thotians had been searching for weeks now to hopefully find the three heirs of the kingdom. The general in charge of this, one by the name of Malach, had been at it for hours already that day. He was hoping that they had been hiding inside of the palace, but after the fifteenth each since the first attack, he was losing faith more and more by the minute.

The frustration was officially starting to settle in. Where in the world were those damn twins? They had to be on the continent somewhere. They wouldn't dare leave their country alone. The crown prince was gone, which meant one of them was set to inherit the throne and bring it back from the brink. Malach knew they were somewhere, but they sure as hell weren't in the palace.

It would have almost been better if they had just blown up the place! If it was gone, Malach would be able to do things more important than just looking down a hallway over and over, hoping that a flash of red or yellow would be seen. He was almost tempted, but at the same time...

"Sir!"

Malach turned to see one of his soldiers approaching. "Some of our food has gone missing from the palace kitchen! What should we do?" the young man asked, saluting his general with his right hand.

"Interrogate the troops. Tell them that anyone caught stealing food will face a dire punishment. They don't need anything more than they are given," Malach said simply.

"That was already done by the upper officers after I told them about the problem!" the soldier continued. "It wasn't any of our own!"

A smirk appeared on Malach's face. "In that case, watch the kitchen tonight. We might have a hidden royal inside the palace walls after all," he smiled.

* * *

Neil and Azin's group had been traveling for quite some time. A few hours had passed since they had last left the village. Anna was still in as good a mood as she had been before, playing around with the golden coins that she had gained from selling her wares. She hummed to herself as she dropped the coins into one hand after holding them in the other. Nobody else made a sound, instead choosing to focus on the immense distance they had yet to travel.

Neil couldn't help but thing back to the two odd girls that he had seen. The redhead on the pegasus and the blonde on the wyvern were long gone by this point. Neil was sure of this. However, he couldn't help but think about them despite their absence. He was mostly humoring the idea that he would love to ride on one of their flying mounts instead of walking, despite knowing full well that this was not going to happen.

Azin, who had been leading the group for quite some time, paused. He held up a hand to halt the others behind him. The mage leaned down and picked up a small white mass that had been perched on the ground, which was now coated gently with frost.

Neil turned to face his retainer, seeing what was in his hand. "Is that... A feather?" Neil couldn't help but ask. The object was small, thin, and covered with snow. A few flakes fell free from the tips of the feather's small blades, gently cascading down to the gentle snow.

"It appears to be a pegasus feather. It likely fell from the wings of one nearby," Azin said with a nod.

Anna noticed the feather from nearby. "It looks like one from a Xylian pegasus," she commented.

"Have you been to Xylia before?" asked Neil.

"I travel quite a bit to other countries to sell my goods. I've been to Xylia a few times, and I've seen feathers like that near the houses of nobles. The regular people can't ever afford a pegasus," Anna explained.

"Maybe it belonged to that girl's steed..." murmured Neil under his breath, a small frown appearing on his lips.

"Who do you mean?" Azin questioned.

"I ran into two girls on my way out of the previous village. One of them was riding a pegasus. I believe she and her companion traveled this way, so maybe this feather was from her pegasus," Neil told him. "I'd be surprised if we actually ran into her though. Being on a pegasus, she has a major advantage to our group as far as traveling speed."

"Hold on," cut in Xavier. "I hear something."

"What is it?" Gale asked.

"It sounds like a battle is taking place up ahead," Xavier frowned. "I do hope that isn't the case though."

"Let's hurry then," Neil suggested. He gestured for the others to follow after him, which they did within a matter of seconds.

* * *

"Damn, these guys are no joke!"

The redheaded girl atop her pegasus thrust her lance forwards into a nearby soldier bearing the armor of Thotia. He fell to the ground, dropping his bow instantly. The girl let out an angry sigh. "Thank the gods that we noticed the archer before he shot us."

"Don't rest yet," the blonde with her said, eyes narrowed. She cleaved through a soldier's lance with her iron axe before signaling for her wyvern to kick him to the ground. "There are still three of them left."

The pegasus shot up to the sky before diving back down. Its rider spun her lance around twice before using it to pierce the arm of a sword bearer. His blade dropped due to his dominant hand having been taken out of commission. The redhead stabbed at him once more before he stopped moving for good.

With two soldiers remaining, the blonde rushed for another man with a lance in hand. He was cut down within a matter of seconds, leaving the blonde and the redhead only one more enemy to contend with. They both turned to face him, but the redhead was the first to act.

She charged forwards quickly, lance flashing lightly in the gentle sunshine gleaming down from overhead. She was about to take the final Thotian soldier down permanently when a cry came from the wyvern rider. "Hisari! Look out!" the blonde exclaimed.

The adrenaline had heightened the redhead's reaction time, so she was able to fly up and out of the way quickly enough to avoid an arrow that was spiraling through the air at incredible speeds. The arrow embedded itself in the chest of the final soldier. He was dead before his cheek hit he snowy ground.

A group of five figures came into view not long after. The bow the arrow had been shot from was in the hands of a young man.

The redhead, now known to be Hisari, made sure that the soldier was dead before dismounting her pegasus and storming over to the newcomers. "That could have hit us! What were you thinking?!" she snapped angrily to the male with the bow.

"It's you," came the surprised murmur of the group's leader. "You're the girls I saw back in the village."

Hisari frowned to herself. "I remember you. You're the one who was messing with my pegasus," she said. She whistled, calling her pegasus over. He trotted over a moment later, nuzzling her shoulder gently. Hisari began to gently stroke his cheek, eyes still on the new arrivals. "Who are you supposed to be?"

"My name is Neil," the leader stated. "This is Azin, Gale, Xavier, and Anna. We're going to the palace of Phazenia."

"Neil, huh..." Hisari said softly. "You wouldn't happen to be from Akaria, would you?"

"How did you know?" Neil asked.

"I've heard of a prince from Akaria by that name. That's all," Hisari replied. "Anyways, thanks for the help, I suppose. Even if you did almost kill me."

"No problem," came the wide grin of Xavier from nearby. Hisari rolled her eyes at his remark, not fond of his joking tone.

"Who are you two?" asked the mage named Azin.

"Syalla and Hisari," the blonde girl said. She dropped off the back of her wyvern. "I have to say, I didn't expect to hear of a prince of Akaria all the way out here on the outskirts of Phazenia. Especially without any sort of troops to guard you."

"I'm afraid Akaria has fallen to Thotia, leaving us with little resources," explained Azin. "It met the same devastating fate as Xylia, I'm afraid."

"I-I see..." Syalla said softly. "Tragic."

"We need to reach the capital of Phazenia to ask for assistance from the royal family," explained Azin. "We can hope that they will join our side in this war, even if the fighting force is minimum and barely existent at this point."

"So you're fighting for the freedom of both Akaria and Xylia?" Syalla questioned, looking at Neil and his group with the slightest amount of suspicion.

"If we can stop Thotia, both Akaria and Xylia will be freed, yes," Azin replied.

"We're in," Hisari cut in. "You can count on us to fight by your side."

"You wish to join us?" asked Neil.

"Of course! We have places to save inside of Xylia, so we're in!" Hisari said with an eager nod.

"Are you sure this is the best course of action, sister?" Syalla questioned, looking cautiously towards Neil and his companions. She still seemed suspicious, glaring at them from behind her blonde bangs.

"Sister?" Anna asked. "I never would have guessed. They look so different from one another."

"If we work with these guys, then we'll be able to help out the citizens of Xylia. I'm positive this is what's best," Hisari told her, ignoring Anna's remark. "Come on. You know that it's best too. Just admit it."

"I don't know if I'll be able to. This may not be what we want to do," Syalla frowned.

"You can travel with us for a little while, at least. If you like it, then you can join us. If not, you can leave," Azin cut in, getting tired of the bickering between the two girls.

"Perfect!" Hisari said, her voice chipper. Syalla merely sighed and shook her head, accepting that there was nothing she could do to change her sister's mind. "What's the plan now?"

"First, I'd like to know why you were being changed by Thotian soldiers, if you don't mind," Azin told her. "It seems odd of them to chase after people who appear normal. You must be of some importance to them."

"We're-" Hisari began to say.

"We escaped from Xylia in the raid," Syalla cut in, holding up a hand to halt her sister's speech. "The Thotians seem to believe we are linked to troubles involving the royal family."

"Didn't they all die or disappear?" asked Anna, a small frown on her face. "That's what I heard."

"Yeah. Nobody knows where they went," shrugged Syalla. "I suppose Thotia thinks that we know something, which I'll have you know is false."

"They're really grasping at straws if they think that's the case," Hisari murmured with a small shake of her head.

"Regardless of what the people of Thotia think, let's get going. We have places to be. Akaria needs the help of Phazenia as soon as possible," Azin said.

"Alright. Let's get going. The sooner we help you guys reach the palace, the sooner we get to take Xylia back. Let's do it," Hisari agreed, clearly eager to get moving.

"Come on," Neil said, gesturing for the others to follow him.

* * *

"We can't just keep running around like this forever," came the voice of a girl, flattening her back up against the wall. "They're going to find us. It's just a matter of time."

"Try to be optimistic," said a male next to her. His lengthy hair was a muted lavender color, tied into a ponytail on top of his head. "We won't get anywhere if we're thinking about death coming to take us in its warm and loving embrace."

"We all know that it's going to happen. It's just a matter of time," the girl told him, biting her lip nervously. "They're going to figure out that we've been here since the raid. They'll kill us."

"Have a bit of hope," said another man. His hair was short and blonde, similar in color to the tresses of Syalla. "We're still alive now, and that means something. We can save Xylia if we get out of here, but we won't get out of here if we aren't working towards it."

The girl sighed. "You're right. Sorry," she apologized.

"You don't need to say sorry. I understand why you're doubtful. Things have been bleak recently. That much cannot be denied. Xylia is not in a good place at the moment," the blonde man told her. "And this is exactly why we need to work as hard as we can to rescue our people and keep them from coming to further harm. Xylia's people have long suffered under the rule of the ones who preceded us, but if we can get out of here, we can save both them and ourselves."

"And your sisters? Will we be able to help them? They... They have to be alive, right?" asked the girl.

"I'm sure they are," the blonde man assured her. "You have no need to worry. They escaped unharmed. That much I am sure of."

"That's good to hear. We all know that you'd feel terrible if a certain someone had passed away," the man with violet hair said, a small smile appearing on his face. It was the first one in quite some time, so it looked tired, but nobody seemed to mind. They were too quietly surprised that he was attempting to grin at all.

"Because I'm a decent person," the girl said, her voice rough as she lightly glared at the man. He responded with a small laugh. "I like her just as much as we all do. You know that."

"If you say so... I don't know if I believe you on that, but I'll play along for the time being," the man told her, nudging her lightly. "When are you going to admit the truth to yourself and the rest of us?"

"Maybe when we get out of this alive," the girl told him. She picked up a wind tome from the ground and clutched it to the ground. "We never know if they'll attack us. They know we're here. At this point, they're just playing around with us. All of them are sure that we've been hiding here. There's no way that they've really been dense enough to not observe what we've been doing."

"You're right," the blonde man agreed. "We should stay on the defensive for the time being. We're doing things well since we haven't been caught. Anybody who finds us is going to unfortunately have to meet their end. Peace and diplomacy will not work with these people. We need to do what is necessary to survive, even if it is darker than we would like."

"I understand," nodded the other man.

"Got it," the girl said. "And we all have to promise not to die, okay?"

"Promise," the two men said in unison.

"Good. Now, let's get back to hiding. We can't have them find us," the girl told them. "That would break our promise faster than I would like."

* * *

Neil had been traveling with his group since meeting with Hisari and Syalla for about three hours now. The snow on the ground was growing thicker as they went on, indicating that they were getting closer to the palace. Phazenia was coldest at its core, though nobody knew why. Some theorized that it was because the capital city had been cursed by an ice god due to the sins of the royal family. It was easy for the people living there to believe, as they knew that the royal family wasn't the kindest. Neil had heard this on the lips of a few people along the way, mostly in the two villages they had been in. It sounded to him that the Phazenian royal family weren't as kind as they had seemed. His parents had told him that they were pleasant people, but perhaps that wasn't the case.

"We should be about seven days away from the palace," Azin said. "I haven't been here in quite some time, so I can't say that for sure, but that should be about it."

"That's good. I'm not fond of walking through this snow. I really didn't dress well for this," sighed Anna.

"I never thought I'd end up in Phazenia," Syalla admitted. "I never left Xylia, so I didn't expect to face this cold."

"I'm sure the royal family will be able to help us out. I doubt they'd just leave us to freeze," Hisari said. "Unless they're really as heartless as the royals of Xylia."

"What did the royals of Xylia even do? I heard that they weren't liked by the general population, but I haven't heard reasons why from someone who has lived there," Neil told Hisari. "You have to know at least a little bit about them since you lived there, right?"

"I know that they were uncaring to anybody that wasn't noble or royal," Hisari told him. "They didn't care much if the people in the capital were dying or starving. They only cared about things that could help them out in some way. However, some people doubt if that was even the case. The king and queen had three kids, but they kept them locked up in the castle at all times. Rumors went around at one point that they even set up an arranged marriage for their oldest child, the crown prince of Xylia."

"Wow... If that's really the case, then something is bothering me," Azin frowned.

"I think I know what you mean," Xavier cut in. "Why did Thotia attack Xylia? If the royals really did treat their citizens so poorly, I would expect them to be the ones to rise up against the oppressive government and overthrow the royals."

"And yet that wasn't the case," Gale said. "Perhaps Thotia noticed that Xylia was growing weaker due to the dying people of the country. It would be an easy target to be taken over due to the lack of soldiers. If the citizens were dying, there wouldn't be anybody to fight back, making it essentially a sitting duck if danger came knocking."

"I encountered the second royal child at one point. She had snuck out of the palace to see the common people. She had lived inside of the castle her entire life, so she was surprised to see the people respond to her with scorn. She started sneaking out more often to help out others when she could, but... I doubt that she's able to do that. If she's even alive at this point, she wouldn't safely be able to speak with the citizens. She'd likely be killed within a matter of minutes if she tried," Syalla said.

"I wouldn't be surprised if all members of the royal family were dead," Hisari chimed in. "So many people were killed in the incident where the palace was invaded... Most of the soldiers assigned to protect the royals passed in the raid. I suspect it was because they hadn't been eating enough due to poor pay and lack of available nutrients."

"We can't say where the country will go next. If the royals are really gone, another noble house will have to rise up and take the throne. The nobles may be as bad as the king and queen, which means that more people will die," Syalla frowned. "Things aren't going well in Xylia, in case you couldn't already tell."

"We'll be able to help out both Xylia and Akaria soon. It's just a matter of time. But first, we need to get the help of Phazenia. We can hope that they'll work with us in this situation, at the very least. We won't know until we see them," Gale said.

"I can only hope they aren't as disagreeable as the king and queen of Xylia. I know that they wouldn't have helped out if another country had been invaded unless it somehow helped them. The king and queen were always selfish and conceited. If their children somehow survived, I can only hope that they will run the country in a better fashion. If they died, the next family to take the throne will hopefully improve and heal the kingdom," Hisari said. "I can't say for sure, but we can pray to the gods for it. Maybe they'll take pity on us."

"Xylia sounds like hell to live in," Xavier said with a small sigh. "I feel bad for you guys. How did you get through it without going crazy?"

"I have no idea," Syalla told him, her expression neutral. "It was difficult, that much is for sure. It was likely due to the fact that our family had some money to fall back on in case things went badly. That is likely why the Thotians are so interested in us. The king and queen liked those with money, and since we had some..."

"I see where you're going," Gale frowned. "They think you have something to do with the disappeared heirs to the throne."

"The nobles of Xylia are likely being targeted if they're still in the country. They might be suspected of harboring the royals. If the royal family did survive, they might be able to inspire the masses to fight back and reclaim their home," Hisari said. "No bodies were found, so the Thotians theorize they are still alive somewhere. If bodies are found, or if the Thotians do kill them after finding them, I know exactly who they're going to target next."

"Who do you mean?" Azin questioned.

"We mentioned before that the crown prince was set up to marry someone by his parents. It was an arranged situation without his input. None have heard of her having passed, so she'd likely end up a target by the army of the invading forces," Hisari explained. There was a tint of anger hiding behind her voice. Her hand closed into a tight fist, nails digging into her skin. Syalla seemed to notice her anger and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Did you know her?" Neil asked.

"We were friends, I suppose you could say," Hisari said simply.

"Let's put her on our list of people to say, then," Neil suggested. "After we get Phazenia on our side, we can try and find her, see if she can help us out in any way."

"Sounds good to me," Hisari agreed. "Let's move a bit faster now. I don't want to drag this war on longer than we really need to. Too many people have died already."

* * *

 _ **I'm actually not dead! Who knew?**_

 _ **I came in a while ago with a Corrinoka one shot, saying I was going to update this, but I didn't get around to it. Now, I'm here to announce that I will be updating one of my stories every Thursday. It will be this one, Evolution Adventure, or a new story.**_

 _ **Speaking of new stories, I'm going to post something new here. On my Wattpad page, I have an Ace Attorney series. I'm going to rewrite the series on here with longer chapters, more details, and an improved plot. It'll be either that or this for quite some time, at least after it is published. Evolution Adventure is on hold for the time being until Tri. 6 comes out. And then, of course, my Pokémon story has been on hold for a while. Of course, it will continue one day. At some point. Hopefully.**_

 ** _Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Supports will be coming next week!_**

 ** _-Digital_**


	8. Support Conversations (3)

~ Neil and Azin ~

Neil: Hey, um... Azin, can we talk?

Azin: Hm? What is it, Neil? I didn't expect you to approach me today. We've been rather busy recently between keeping weapons in top shape, traveling to our next destination, and-

Neil: I just... I wanted to say... Gods, I'm no good at this stuff. Diplomacy was always my mom's thing. I'm terrible at this crap.

Azin: You don't need to worry about feeling embarrassed. I've seen you at your best and your worst. I won't mind it much at all.

Neil: Well... Okay. I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry about what happened to you in your past.

Azin: You don't need to be sorry. It was a long time ago, and there's nothing that we can do about it now.

Neil: I know that's true... I just figured I should say something like that. I haven't been through anything like that, so I can't really relate, but I still want to be there for you. You don't deserve to think about this awful stuff all the time. You're better than that.

Azin: That's rather kind of you to say. I never thought you to have this sort of sentimentality hiding behind your rough exterior.

Neil: H-Honestly, I didn't know it either. I never took the time to get all sensitive like this before... I prefer to act rough and tough and stuff. You know that.

Azin: I've gathered that much from my time in your service. You've only gotten soft and gentle once every few months, if even that.

Neil: Yeah. I'm not gentle and sweet. I bury my feelings and can't talk in a diplomatic fashion even if my life depends on it.

Azin: There's nothing wrong with that. However...

Neil: What is it?

Azin: You shouldn't feel afraid to be a bit gentler at times. You said that you wanted to be there for me, a shoulder to lean on, correct?

Neil: Well... Yeah. I'm not the best at it, but I at least want to try.

Azin: In that case, I would like to reciprocate and do the same for you.

Neil: Azin, you've been doing that for years.

Azin: The situation is a bit different now, though. We're at war at the moment. You've been working to lead an army to take back your homeland. Things are going to get intense. This is just how war goes, unfortunately... So I want to be someone you can rely on if anything goes wrong.

Neil: Th-Thanks for that, Azin... It'll be a mutual agreement. I'll help you out the best I can, and you can do the same for me.

Azin: That sounds perfect to me. Feel free to ask for my help whenever you require it.

Neil: And you do the same, got it?

Azin: Of course.

~ Neil and Azin have attained support level A ~

* * *

~ Gale and Xavier ~

Xavier: Hey there, Gale! It's been a while since I've talked to you one-on-one!

Gale: I suppose it has. Is there something you wanted?

Xavier: Nope! I just wanted to talk to you! It's funny how we lived in the same village all that time, and yet we never had a quality conversation. I want to change that now that we're fighting alongside each other to get rid of Thotia.

Gale: We never really got to know each other... Then again, I rarely ever grew close to much of anyone.

Xavier: Why was that? Do you just like being alone? Or is there some sort of dark past hiding under there? Maybe I need to be at friendship rank four to unlock your tragic backstory...

Gale: What are you talking about?

Xavier: Why do you stay away from people? I'm curious about why that is. You've always been so dark and broody. Not many people are like that all the time, you know.

Gale: I just prefer to be alone. I'm not the most fond of human contact.

Xavier: Do you know why it is that you don't like being around people?

Gale: I just told you. I enjoy being alone. Is there a problem you have with that?

Xavier: No, not at all. I thought there would be a reason, that's it. Do you think there is?

Gale: *sighs* Is there a reason that you feel the need to pester me?

Xavier: I want to be friends. Is that so wrong?

Gale: But why is that? This is rather sudden.

Xavier: Uh, I believe that I explained that a few seconds ago, Gale. You have been paying attention to our conversation, right? I just want to make a new friend. No other reasoning than that.

Gale: Exactly. Are you done now?

Xavier: Okay, okay. You don't want to talk. I get that now. It's crystal clear. Maybe I should just back away slowly and leave you be. We can talk again later.

Gale: Or we could not. I'd prefer it if we just didn't talk again. I told you that I prefer to be alone and away from people when it's possible.

Xavier: We can figure it out as we go along. I'm not the best when it comes to making plans. Thinking as things go along is just more of my style, if you know what I mean. I'm nice and spontaneous. So, how does that sound?

Gale: Fine! Does that make you happy?!

Xavier: Sure! I'll see you later!

Gale: *sighs* I swear, he can be frustrating... I haven't seen him pester anyone this much in quite some time... Why is he suddenly so interested in me? I'll have to ask him later, after I'm done thinking about what just happened...

~ Gale and Xavier have attained support level C ~

* * *

~ Syalla and Hisari ~

Hisari: Hey, Syalla.

Syalla: Hm? Oh. Hisari. I didn't expect to see you here.

Hisari: You've wandered quite the ways away from our camp. I was wondering where you went off to. I know I can't leave you alone for long. You'll just get yourself into trouble.

Syalla: I find it ironic that you're the one who's saying that. If I recall correctly, you were the rebellious one in the family. Our brother and I were always much more obedient of what our parents wanted.

Hisari: Ha! That's almost funny. There is no way that you're obedient. You're the one who snuck out of the house when you felt like it.

Syalla: Even so, I still feel you're a bit more rebellious than I am. You know the truth just as well as I do. Our parents only wanted Akamatsu to learn how to fight, and yet, you learned to master the spear as a pegasus rider.

Hisari: Yeah, because them telling us to not learn to fight since we'd 'never need it' is just stupid. We all know that was false.

Syalla: Of course we know. Xylia has never been stable, so it's likely for the best that we learned to defend ourselves, even if it was against the will of our parents.

Hisari: 'We'll never need to protect ourselves in a fight. That's what servants are for.' Load of shit, if you ask me. Here we are, fighting a war we never expected to get dragged into. Even if Xylia was always unstable economically with all those people dying, I never thought it would be this soon.

Syalla: We're still teenagers, and yet we are fighting for our homeland. This turn of events is unexpected, to say the least... Though perhaps it will have a few positives.

Hisari: Such as...?

Syalla: We'll be able to at least attempt to restore the country. The king and queen never treated the people well, and it's time for that to change. Their time is coming to a close, and soon enough, the regular people will once again have a bit more to live for.

Hisari: Even if it may have a nice impact later on, I wish that it didn't have to come around this way. I don't want to have to endure war. Training to battle isn't the same as fighting battles where people really want to kill you. There are other ways this could have been done without sending countless citizens to their deaths or letting them be slaughtered by the invaders.

Syalla: I understand what you're saying. But soon enough, it will be over. We can help them, but we need to do our best to win this war first.

Hisari: Yeah... Okay. You're right. It's just a matter of time.

~ Syalla and Hisari have attained support level C ~

* * *

 _ **An update earlier on? Yeah. It's more likely than you think.**_

 _ **I should have had Xavier and Gale in the last update, but I forgot to add them in. Oops. So they're here.**_

 _ **Also, note about Azin. I had to change his past a little bit to fit in with this story's canon. I'm trying to make this one as divergent from canon as possible, in its own universe, so since his story had to do with canon events, I had to change it a little bit. Other characters may receive the same treatment, though I am trying to keep it to a minimum.**_

 _ **Now for reviews!**_

 _ **itsLALM: I'm glad you're excited!  
Dubrovnik: I have a bit of a thing for foreshadowing. I think it's fun to do. And yes, those characters are involved in the plot in a vital way. They're essential a bit later on. **_

_**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


	9. Paralogue One: Bloodshed in the Snow

Two days had passed since Hisari and Syalla had joined the party. They had been walking as much as possible, but their progress was beginning to slow down due to the heavy snow. Since they were getting closer to the capital, the snow was growing thicker and harder to traverse. Azin didn't seem to mind the cold, but the others didn't fare as well, unfortunately. Neil was starting to grow particularly surly, not at all fond of the path they were taking.

"You know, I'm surprised we haven't run into any trouble," remarked Hisari. "I mean, I would have expected Thotian soldiers to have run into us by now. They're not the type to just give up after deciding on a person to target."

"It's best if we don't jinx it. If we say something like this, then a troop of Thotian soldiers will pop out of the woodwork and ruin everything. You know how it goes," Xavier frowned.

"I don't believe such superstitions will really have an impact on if they show themselves or not. If the Thotians truly want to attack us, they will do it regardless of what you say on the matter," Syalla said, her lips tight in a frown. Her gaze was dark as she scanned the surrounding area.

"Is something the matter?" Azin questioned, shooting her a suspicious glance.

"She senses something," Syalla murmured. She began to stroke the side of her wyvern's face. "What's going on, Circe?"

The wyvern let out a small grunt, turning to the east. "It seems troops are upon us now," Syalla said, picking up on what her wyvern was implying.

"This is where our luck runs out, it seems," Gale sighed. "How far away are they?"

"Less than the march of an hour, if Circe is correct," Syalla told her. "I highly doubt that we'll have the time to retreat to a safer location, which means we will simply have to face them head on. If we are unable to do that, it is likely that our lives will be sacrificed to the Thotians in the process."

"We have to wipe them out. I get the feeling that any survivors will go running back to the monarch to say something about the odd band of fighters they ran into," Hisari said. "There's no way we'll be able to reach Phazenia's palace without being hounded by invaders on the way. I don't know about you guys, but I'd rather not deal with them on the way there."

"Me neither. It will do nothing but cause us unnecessary grief," Azin agreed, a frown on his face. "How should we approach this?"

"If we can't escape in time, the least we can do is set up the environment to our advantage. If we an find an area good for fighting, one that will give us the advantage, perhaps things will be a bit easier," Syalla suggested. "I can't say how we should do this exactly. Any ideas should be suggested sooner rather than later so we can get to work."

"I have one idea," said Gale, a small smirk playing on his face. "Azin, you know how to use ice magic, correct?"

"I've been experienced in it for quite some time, yes," Azin responded with a nod. "Is there some way we can use that?"

"We're surrounded by snow, so there possibly is," Gale replied. "Now, listen closely. If this is going to work, we'll have to work together and quickly..."

* * *

The Thotian army was closing in on the group of rebellious fighters, just as Syalla's wyvern, Circe, had suspected. Most of them were wearing the regular uniform for soldiers of the country, bearing lances, axes, swords, tomes, and knives. A few archers were among them as well. They were standing before their commander, a man by the name of Aron. He had an axe in his left hand as he looked over the troop, mentally counting up the people that were fighting alongside him. Once he was satisfied with the number, he raised his free hand to the sky to gather their attention. The conversations that were lingering in the bitter air instantly died as they all turned towards Aron in silence.

"At long last, we have found the people that our country has been searching for so desperately up until this point!" Aron shouted into the cold breeze of the afternoon. His breath fogged up a few inches in front of his face, blowing away within seconds. "If we can capture this group who has already killed so many of our citizens, we will receive praise and riches beyond what any of us have ever known!"

Cries of excitement spiraled upwards into the sky. Among the yelling figures was a single person, a young man, who remained silent as all others cheered around him. He glanced around at his companions, a distasteful expression on his face.

The young man, who went by the name of Julian, had black hair that reached his shoulders. His eyes were a bright blue color, a stark contrast to the rest of his clothing. He wore a loose black shirt with pants of the same relaxed nature. His boots were worn and dark gray in color. Snow dotted the soles of his shoes, but he didn't mind. A navy blue scarf was wrapped around his neck. It was close to his face to keep the cold at bay. Julian glanced around, still dissatisfied. Everybody else was growing excited too soon. He knew that things had yet to truly begin, that anything could happen in the moments that followed. This mysterious and small group, which was apparently responsible for repelling any number of Thotian soldiers that had assaulted them between whatever members it had, was likely a force to be reckoned with. The people he was working with, fighters of the very same Thotian army, were much too confident for his tastes, as he got the feeling that something awful was inevitable involving the battle to come. He was being uncharacteristically pessimistic, but at the same time, he got the feeling he was correct on this subject in particular.

Aron held his hand up once again to calm down the troop. All of the soldiers seemed more fired up than they ever had been before. In Thotia, it was rare for anybody without significant status to have enough money to be able to play around with it. The monarch had promised riches to any who helped significantly with the war effort, which drew many people to the cause. As of that point, the Thotians had only targeted nations that were weak as far as the central government was concerned. Xylia's royals didn't care much for the people they were meant to protect, leaving many citizens dying and the army nonexistent. Akaria, on the other hand, was a small country when compared to Thotia, the largest country on the continent. It was only a matter of time in the eyes of many until Thotia reached out and crushed one of the smaller nations, and now that it had come, there was no going back.

Julian had known this from the moment that he was old enough to understand. He wasn't fond of Thotia, but soldiers were promised wealth if they were able to do something helpful, so he was forced to join the fighting. He didn't have enough money to live on his own, away from these problems, so he had to work for it, and this was the best way to do it. Even if he was working for a country he didn't believe in, it was his only chance at survival in a harsh world, so he had to take it.

If he had been given the chance, Julian surely would have defected to another side. He had been born in Akaria, after all. His memories of the small nation were few and far between, but he still preferred it to Thotia. While he hadn't been there for long, he was seeing Thotia to be nothing more than a nation of conquerors. Julian wasn't fond of people who crushed the weak beneath their heels, as he had spent many a long year as one of the weaker people in the imbalance of power.

Aron had been giving a long, motivational speech while Julian had zoned out. He had been thinking of what it would be like to go somewhere else, away from Thotia and the people that fought for it. He knew it would never happen, as this was his best way to survive, but he could at least hope to keep himself going forwards. It wouldn't do for him to not perform at his best and get killed in the meantime. Even if Julian's life could easily be equated to hell, he still wasn't going to it give up so easily.

* * *

As Syalla had stated before, only an hour had been available for the small fighting force to set the fight up in their advantage. Azin's proficiency with wind and ice magic worked well in their advantage. Gale's plans ended up coming to fruition within a matter of minutes, which left much time for the group to set up in other ways. Waiting didn't agree with some members of the group (namely Xavier and Hisari as Xavier was too worked up about to fight to come and Hisari because she was naturally impatient), but eventually, they were fine. By the time the Thotian soldiers had rolled around, everyone was more than ready to raise their blades, bows, or tomes to fight off the impending forces.

There were about twenty of them, which was more than any of them had ever fought at once. Neil was a bit nervous, as he had never combatted quite this many enemies at once, but none of the others seemed to mind. Hisari gripped her spear a bit tighter, ready to use it to fend off the newcomers. Syalla had her regular expression of indifference, but it was easy to tell by the aura she was giving off that she was just as ready for what was to come as anyone else.

The first move was made by an archer from afar. The leader was not yet in sight, as instead only soldiers bearing swords, lances, axes, and bows could be seen. Syalla had her wyvern dart upwards with a light roar to avoid the arrow. The arrow spun through the air until it hit a nearby tree, burying itself in the bark. Snow fell off the branches, revealing bare branches. The arrow was picked up by Xavier, who put it on his bow before pulling the string back. A moment later, he let it fly. It embedded itself in the chest of the archer that had first fired it, leaving Xavier smirking and satisfied.

Now that the fight seemed to have officially begun, a lancer charged forwards. He ran towards the group, but none of them seemed to mind it. Hisari looked at him with something of a sadistic smirk on her face. She waved at him before he stumbled over his own feet, sending snow kicking up all around him.

Ice was revealed to be beneath it, thick and reflective to the common eye. It could not truly be estimated how far the ice spread out from them, however, which would severely trouble the soldiers that were attempting to attack them.

Once the lancer had scrambled to his feet, shaky from the sudden fall, Syalla swept in. Her axe glistened in the cold sunshine as she sliced through his weapon and then the soldier himself. After the deed was done, she moved backwards with a challenging look in her eye. It was almost like a challenge, asking all the soldiers in the area if they felt they were really prepared to take her on and feel her wrath.

Three more soldiers tried to attack the group, though they were ultimately cut down by Hisari, Azin, Xavier, and Syalla. Since the flying sisters had the advantage of traveling through the air, they were unhindered by the terrain coated in ice. Azin and Xavier, on the other hand, had the ability to fight from a distance, which allowed them to stay away from the ice hiding beneath the snow. Neil, Anna, and Gale were essentially sitting ducks, but it hardly mattered. The other four members of the group were doing perfectly fine even without the support of the melee fighters.

While the other members of the fighting force were focused on fighting Syalla's group, one member of the group in particular was sneaking around the back of the party. Julian was frowning slightly as he stared at the rest of his allies. They were trying their best to fight off the small party, though it wasn't working out. The strategy that Gale had conjured up was working, perhaps too well. If they didn't try and back out, it was likely that they would all meet their ends within a matter of mere minutes.

Julian had to admit, they were doing much better than he had expected. With such a small group fighting against so many soldiers, they were doing rather well. None of them had been seriously injured. In fact, none of them had been hurt at all, as far as he could tell. No blood had stained the delicate and lovely snow on the ground around them, which was rather impressive. Julian didn't outwardly admit it if he was in awe, at least not often, but he couldn't help but smile over it here.

Maybe this would be the perfect escape for him. They seemed rather powerful, after all, so if he could sneak away without being spotted (though he had technically already gotten through that), he could ask the group if they would want an eighth member. Come to think of it, one of the group's members looked like some sort of noble. He was carrying some sort of rapier, so it wouldn't surprise him. Julian wasn't sure as to what his name was, but he was hoping to change that within a matter of minutes. It would be better to talk to him than continue working for Thotia. Then again, most things would be better than working for Thotia.

Julian found himself standing behind the noble young man, ready to tap him on the shoulder. He wasn't entirely sure if this was a good idea, as there was always the chance that he would flip out and attempt to attack him, but his thoughts of what would happen if he continued working for Thotia had his fingers brushing the arm of the noble.

He turned around, a frown deep on his face. He drew his blade instantly, pointing it at him. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice harsh and rough. His eyes were narrowed as he slowly pushed the blade closer to Julian's stomach.

"I'm not here to hurt you. If I was going to kill you, I would have done it by now," Julian told him. He held up his hands in surrender. "I have to say, you guys sure do know how to fight well."

"What do you want?" the noble questioned, his rapier still outstretched.

"I want to join you," Julian told him. "You seem to be a bit short on staff, but I want to fix that. I used to work for Thotia, but I'm sick of it. They're no fun."

"And you expect me to believe that you're just going to turn around and suddenly fight with us instead of against us? I somehow find that hard to believe. You know, maybe because it's just common sense?" His voice was still harsh. If looks could kill, Julian would have died five times over already.

"I was kind of hoping," Julian shrugged. "You're short on fighters, it seems. I just mentioned that... I want to help you. Thotia sucks. It's just a nation of conquerors, if you want my take on it. It doesn't help the people that need it. It's sort of like Xylia... Actually, it's a lot like Xylia, except the people decided on violence for whatever reason. It's not nice."

Slowly, the noble dropped his sword. "Alright. Fine. I'll believe you... But the second that you do anything that could be seen as a threat, you will meet your end. The axe will fall instantly and without hesitation."

"I got it, I got it," Julian said with a nod. He paused for a moment, realizing that he still didn't know a vital piece of information about his new ally. "Oh, yeah. What's your name? I never caught it."

"Neil," the noble replied simply. He watched as a nearby mage, who he would later learn was named Azin, decimated an axe fighter with his icy magic. "And yours is...?"

"Julian," the thief told him. "You can call me Julian."

A sigh left the lips of Hisari as she removed her lance from a dead body nearby. "We still haven't seen the commander. As for the smaller soldiers, though, it seems that we're almost done with them. There are only two left."

"Make that one," Xavier grinned as he shot an arrow from his bow.

"I got this last one," Syalla declared before launching herself at a fire mage. After he had fallen, she picked up his tome. She flew back to the rest of the party before handing the book over to Azin, who accepted it with a rather simple and curt nod.

"His name is Aron," Julian told the rest of the group. They seemed to notice that he was there for the first time, so expressions of shock were painted on their faces.

Hisari pointed her spear at him, a frown on her lips. "I guess we really didn't take them all out," she said, ready to thrust her weapon forward and take his life.

"I'll explain later. Leave him alone for now," Neil told her, which made Hisari sigh and pull her weapon away from Julian's throat. She still didn't seem to believe him, evident by the dissatisfaction in her eyes and the tension in her shoulders. "He's fighting as our ally for the time being."

"He fights with a sword," Julian continued to say, acting as if Hisari hadn't just threatened to end him thinking he was the enemy. "That means our pegasus friend is going to be the one to take him down, at least if we want to do it efficiently."

"As soon as he shows himself, I'm going after him, then," Hisari said with a small smirk. "I'm ready for this. He's nothing compared to me."

"Rebels!"

A masculine voice cut through the air, leaving everybody turning towards the source of the sound. It was a man wearing the clothing of a Thotian soldier. A sword, which looked to be made of iron, was in his hand. "If you wish to end this peacefully, you will surrender! Thotia will crush you sooner or later whether you accept it now or not!" he cried out. His breath was fogging up before his face due to the cold air, but he didn't seem to mind. It appeared that this was none other than the Aron that Julian had mentioned before, the commander of the group.

"As if that's going to happen!" Neil scoffed. "You're just going to kill us!"

Aron chose not to respond once again after Neil had said this. Instead, he slowly walked towards the group, his blade glistening threateningly in the sunshine. He didn't step onto the ice that had been conjured by Azin, seemingly having noticed that it was present. Aron didn't appear to be quite as reckless as the soldiers that had been under his command while they were still alive, instead asking the rebels to come to him with his physicality.

Hisari was the first one to rush forwards. "The end is nigh!" she cried out as she flew forwards, her lance shining. The spear clashed against the sword's blade, sending sparks flying. Hisari pulled back first before once again going in, ready to clash once again. She forced the lance towards Aron a second time, but it was once again blocked by the sword. Over and over again, she tried to get a blow in, only to be blocked time and time again. Hisari was growing frustrated and hasty to try and fight off the commander. "Damn! He's tough!" she muttered, anger showing in her eyes.

"Have you had enough yet?" Aron asked with a smirk. It was easy to tell that he was merely playing with Hisari from the look on his face, which was rather impressive. Hisari had been training for many years, dedicated herself to the spear, but she still wasn't quite as skilled as Aron, it seemed. She was growing a bit too offensive, not focusing enough on the defensive side of things.

Aron used a moment of weakness that he had seen in Hisari's fighting style to stab at her with his sword. He got her shoulder, and rather well, it seemed, leaving blood flowing down her left arm. Hisari mentally thanked the universe that she was dominant with her right hand, so this didn't impact her much besides getting her adrenaline pumping a bit faster. She let out a cry of anger, pushing the spear forwards once again. She got his arm this time, which knocked the sword from his hand. Hisari panted heavily, teeth grinding together to hold back any shouts of pain. She was shaking from the adrenaline, thankful that the pain hadn't truly kicked in quite yet. Once it did, she wouldn't be able to fight as well.

Syalla had Azin hop onto her wyvern's back before flying over to the fight. She let Azin down once they were over the ice. Snow kicked up around the area where he had landed. He flipped open the tome in his hands. One of the pages disappeared, leaving only a sphere of air magic. The cold breeze condensed itself before it was tossed at Aron, forcing him off his feet and backwards into the snow. He let out a sharp screech as he collapsed. His sword was too far away for him to use it to get up, so he was left forcing himself off the snow with his hands, though one was badly damaged from Hisari's earlier strike.

Hisari approached him and used her lance to finally end things. Aron stopped moving not long after, leaving everybody assured that he was truly dead. About a minute after he had passed, a sigh left Hisari's lips. She dropped her lance to the ground, her hand flying to her damaged shoulder. Hisari fell to one knee, blood seeping in between her fingers. "Damn, that hurts..." she said softly in between her choked breaths.

Syalla flew back to the group, who was still holed up in the circle of ice, and picked up Anna. The redheaded merchant had a vulnerary in her hand, ready to hand it over to Hisari. Even if she was driven by capitalism, she couldn't have been that heartless, it seemed.

Once Circe had landed, Syalla and Anna hopped off. Anna handed over the vulnerary, which Hisari accepted quickly. She took off the cap, leaving it in the snow, and poured some of it onto her hand before rubbing it onto her wound. Her shoulder gently sparkled before the wound healed itself, which stopped the blood loss. Hisari sighed once the wound had disappeared, picking up the cap and putting it back on the vulnerary bottle. However, due to the size of the wound, she had used up all of it. Once having realized this, she set the bottle back down into the snow. There was no point to keep carrying it around if there was nothing in it, as it was very rare for shops to accept empty bottles for refilling when it came to vulneraries.

"I got a bit too reckless," Hisari muttered, picking up her lance and getting to her feet.

"You did. Our brother would have quite a few things to say to you about that, you know," Syalla frowned. "He's always been protective."

"Let's get all the others out from that icy area. We can talk about this another time," Hisari told her. Her voice was dark, disappointed with herself, it seemed.

"Alright," Syalla nodded. She climbed upon Circe as Hisari mounted her wyvern. They flew to their allies to help them leave the icy circle so they could continue traveling.

Once everybody had been helped out of the ice, Hisari looked to Neil. "Now, explain who this guy is," she told him, her face tight and tense as she pointed to Julian, who was standing nearby.

"He turned from the side of the Thotian army. He says that he doesn't like the country that Thotia has become in recent years, so he wants to fight alongside us instead," Neil explained. "Julian here will be joining our fighting force from here on out. We're a bit short on staff, so he's going to be helping us from here on out. He seems to be a thief, at least from what I can tell."

"Yeah. You got that right," Julian nodded. "I'm a thief, sure enough. Knives are my specialty, though I can use a sword if you want to give me one of those, too. Still have a dagger from when I was working with Thotia, so that should work for now."

"Wow. It's hard to believe it, but we actually have someone even less trustworthy than Anna on our side now," Xavier remarked, looking at Julian with a suspicious gaze.

"How am I not trustworthy?" Anna asked, crossing her arms with a frown.

"You have to admit that you can be a bit fickle when it comes to money," Hisari said. "I'm pretty sure we can all agree on that."

"It could be worse," Anna shrugged, placing the index finger of her right hand on her chin. "There are probably a thousand other things I could be that are worse than this. If you all wouldn't mind, I could list them off for you, if you'd like."

"I don't think that will be necessary," Azin told her. "Anyways, we should get going. We still have quite the ways to travel before we'll be anywhere close to Phazenia's palace."

"You're heading to Phazenia's capital?" Julian questioned. "Man, I haven't been there in years. I was only there for a few months, but it was not my favorite place to be. I still remember how awful it was to see people fighting over stuff like medicine in the middle of the streets. Yikes."

"We'll have to put up with whatever mess that the capital gives us, though. We need to see the royal family and ask for their aid in this war. We'll need them to provide troops since Akaria and Xylia can't do much of anything with the state they're in," Xavier told him.

"Phazenia isn't as bad as Xylia, at least. Xylia's never been great. We can at least be glad that we're not doing something like this, traveling to the capital, with Xylia. That place is much worse than most countries on the continent," Julian said.

"We've heard that much," nodded Azin. "Hisari and Syalla, our pegasus and wyvern riders respectively, lived there before it was invaded."

"I'm surprised they even got out with their lives. Most Xylians died in the attack because of Thotia, if they weren't already starving or rotting of disease," said Julian. "Color me impressed."

"Regardless of how crappy Xylia is, we're focused on Phazenia right now. Let's keep going. We don't have enough time to stand around and talk. If any Xylians are still alive... We'll be able to help them by getting the help of Phazenia, which we need as soon as possible," Hisari told the group's members.

"Is there anyone in particular you want to help out or something? You seem eager to get moving," Azin remarked as they continued walking.

"Isn't it natural to want to help out the people of your homeland? Or is that not a thing anymore?" Hisari questioned, looking at Azin with a critical sideways expression.

"What she means is our older brother. We haven't seen him since the incident. On top of that, I'm sure she's eager to find the one that was set to marry the crown prince. They were companions at one point, and I doubt Hisari would like it if she passed due to her connections to the throne," Syalla said.

"That's enough about Xylia," Hisari cut in. "Let's stop talking about our home and keep moving. How does that sound? We have to keep going if we want to reach Phazenia as quickly as possible."

"That's true. The sooner that we pick up the pace, the sooner we can end this war," Neil said. He couldn't help but think back to Akaria. He didn't have any idea as to what had happened to his parents or other acquaintances, so he could understand why they were eager to get going. He hoped that at least some of them were still alive, but he couldn't say for sure, which only made him even more quietly frightened.

* * *

 ** _Okay. Here you guys are. I'm going to keep this brief since I'm a bit tired and I have other things to attend to._**

 ** _itsLALM: I updated that last one a bit early due to a random burst of inspiration. Oops. And I'm hoping to get into a better rhythm of updating every week on Thursday so that things stay consistent. I hope there won't be anymore five month waits in the foreseeable future._**

 ** _Now that I'm done with that, I'm going to end it here. Supports are up next, and then we meet the princess of Phazenia! Hell yeah. I love Dahlia. At least after character development. We'll see how she is in the next chapter before she changes a bunch._**

 ** _Also we get Ricola next time and holy crap I love Ricola. She's a good girl._**

 ** _With that, I'm off!_**

 ** _-Digital_**


	10. Support Conversations (4)

~ Syalla and Hisari ~

Syalla: Circe, if you want me to was you off, you need to hold still... Flinging water everywhere isn't doing anyone any good. It just makes a mess that I'll have to clean up later.

Hisari: Hey, Syalla. I was wondering where yo-

Syalla: Circe!

Hisari: Ow! Water in the eye!

Syalla: My apologies. Is there something you needed?

Hisari: I just wanted to talk to you. Is there something wrong with that?

Syalla: Of course not. You're just not the type to do something like this. Is something on your mind?

Hisari: You know me too well. I was wondering... About what you're planning on doing after the war ends.

Syalla: After the war? Well, I'll probably stay with you and our brother... I don't know why I'd leave. I can't be sent off to another nation in a political marriage. Mother and Father can't force me to do that anymore.

Hisari: I see... In that case, I'm heading out. I don't want your wyvern to get more water on me. She's got enough on her now to soak me.

Syalla: Wait. Stay for a little longer.

Hisari: What?

Syalla: You rarely approach people unless you want something. I just mentioned this. Did you really think I was just going to let you go when I knew something was on your mind?

Hisari: I... I was sort of hoping, but I guess there wasn't much of a point to that. You never let these things go.

Syalla: You seemed to be worried about something to do with the war ending. Perhaps you are concerned as to what will happen afterwards.

Hisari: I-I'm not!

Syalla: Does it have something to do with where I'll be going once this concludes?

Hisari: I'm going to leave no-

 _*ROAR*_

Syalla: Circe doesn't seem to approve of that.

Hisari: Shit... Fine, I'll stick around.

Syalla: Anyways, going on... I have to wonder... Are you worried that I'm going to leave?

Hisari: N-No!

Syalla: That stutter says everything you're not saying, you know.

Hisari: I-It's just... We've already lost so much in this war... Mother and Father died to the Thotians... Our country is in shambles, even more so than before. I don't want to lose anything else.

Syalla: I always knew you held this sort of sensitivity deep down, even if you refused to admit it.

Hisari: Don't tell anybody about it, though! I swear, if you say anything about it-

Syalla: I won't, I won't. I have nothing to gain from such a thing anyways. There wouldn't be a point.

Hisari: Thank the gods...

Syalla: Anyways, I'm glad that you opened up to me. I dislike it when we argue.

Hisari: Me too. It leaves me feeling bitter.

Syalla: You can leave now. I'm just going to finish up cleaning Circe and head back to camp.

Hisari: I'll go on and help. Why not?

~ Hisari and Syalla have attained support level B ~

* * *

~ Xavier and Gale ~

Gale: I hope he isn't around here... Gods, please tell me that he's finally dropped this subject...

Xavier: Gale! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!

Gale: *sigh* I suppose my prayers meant nothing in the end...

Xavier: I was wondering where you had gone off to after that last fight. Why are you all the way out here in the woods? You're pretty far from the camp.

Gale: I merely wanted some time alone. Is there something wrong with that?

Xavier: Nah. I come out here when I need a little time to myself too. Hunting out here always relaxes me when something is on my mind. Have you ever tried it?

Gale: No. Hunting never really piqued my interest. While it is a good excuse to be alone, I never thought of it as a hobby I could pursue.

Xavier: In that case, I have an idea! What about I teach you how to hunt?

Gale: Why would you do that?

Xavier: I want to be your friend, but we haven't had any basis other than simple conversation before now! If I teach you, then you'll have to hang out with me! Does that sound good to you?

Gale: I still don't understand why it is that you're so interested in being around me. Most people I know would have some sort of ulterior motive for doing such a thing. You know, sort of like how Anna really likes money and would do anything to get her hands on it.

Xavier: That's not the case with me. I'm nice and genuine. Not all people are like that. Some people just want to be friends with others, and that's what I'm like.

Gale: I see... Well, since I doubt I'll be able to get you off my back otherwise, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. When can you start teaching me?

Xavier: Anytime you want. I don't have many other things to do, so why not leave things open?

Gale: Alright... I'll come and see you a little later to talk to you about it. How does that sound?

Xavier: It sounds great to me! Let's do it!

Gale: Okay. In that case, I suppose that I'll be seeing you later.

Xavier: Yeah! Feel free to ask me whenever you're available! I'll be glad to help!

Gale: Bye. I'll see you around.

Xavier: Got it! Catch you later! Finally! I have my golden opportunity to hang out with him! The next friendship level has been reached! I've never been more excited for this! I'll have to go and grab my bow so that I'll be ready for when he wants to do this!

~ Gale and Xavier have attained support level B ~

* * *

 _ **Dubrovnik: I finally found something I can stick to! I'm glad you're liking it so far! The next chapter will have more character introductions, so I hope you're ready for that!**_

 _ **itsLALM: Hopefully most updates will come around about this time from now on. I pray.**_

 _ **111 Oats: I'm glad you're liking it!**_

 _ **Oh yeah. Quick warning for the next few weeks. End of course exams are starting in my school today so updates might end up being held off a week if I have to study a lot for things like biology and geometry. They won't be too long of breaks, but don't be surprised if they happen. I'm hoping they won't, but you never know.**_

 _ **I'm going to dash away now. I hope you guys enjoyed this update! It was a bit shorter, but since the next update is a story one, it'll be 5k words instead of 1k. Woo.**_

 _ **-Digital**_


	11. Chapter Three: Invasion

The party had been moving for quite some time now since allowing Julian into their ranks. By now, nearly everything had changed considerably regarding their surroundings. The ground was now coated in snow instead of just being speckled with it here and there. The castle town around them was bustling with activity, which Neil had to admit he found odd considering the fact that there was a war going on just outside the country's borders. People in Xylia, Thotia, and Akaria were dying, and here were the Phazenian people, not really minding a bit what was taking place beyond their kingdom's edge.

"We're close to the palace now," Azin remarked. He gently nudged Neil and pointed ahead. Sure enough, there was the castle. It towered above the castle town and all the bustling people down below. The walls were a light blue color, which seemed to make sense given how snowy the kingdom was. The highest tower had the flag of Phazenia blowing from it. It swayed in the breeze lightly, ignoring the snowflakes that attempted to brush against its surface.

"We should go and see the royal family if we can," said Hisari. She was leading her pegasus through the streets, earning odd glances as she passed. Neil figured that it was because of her pegasus being of Xylian heritage and not Phazenian. Xylia was quite the distance from Phazenia, so it would make sense if none of the people had seen this type of steed before.

"Are you sure they'll even want to see us?" Gale asked with a frown. "We're talking about nobles here. I doubt that they'd let just anybody in."

"Then we'll just have to tell them that we're with the prince of Akaria. I'm sure that will get them to look our way for at least a moment," Xavier said. He gestured for the others to follow as he ran up to the palace gates, which were guarded on either side by a man with a lengthy spear. They wore the armor found on all Phazenian royal knights, which was proof of their standing to the party.

Before Xavier could travel through the gates, both of the men let their spears lower to cover the door in an 'X' shape. Xavier took a small step back and sighed, allowing Neil and Azin to step forwards. "We need to see the royals, if that's alright with you," Azin began to say simply, his expression as serious and hardened as ever.

"As if that's going to happen," scoffed one of them, specifically the guard on the right side. "You're not the first people to try and sneak into the palace, you know."

"But we're likely the first people you're going to let in because of royal blood," Azin said, gesturing to Neil. "This is the prince of Akaria. He needs to see the royal family regarding the sudden attack on Akaria that took place not long ago that got the kingdom involved in the war between Thotia and Xylia."

The guards looked over Neil, who stared at them with narrowed eyes. He was hoping that a tough image would allow the guards to let his party through, but he couldn't say for sure. Neil hadn't ever been in this situation before. He hadn't even left Akaria up until recently, so this was most certainly a new experience for him.

"We can't let you in based on a mere claim," the other guard, the one on the left, told Neil. "You'll have to leave before I call for backup."

Azin let out a sigh. "We understand," he said glumly before turning on his heel. The others followed him, knowing that Azin had been the one in charge of that situation.

"What are we going to do now? We came all this way, so we need to see them. How are we supposed to fight back against Thotia if we don't?" Neil asked Azin, a frown on his face. Anger was flashing in his eyes due to his short temper.

"Let them in."

The party turned around to see a girl standing behind the spears of the guards. Her eyes were a light blue, so pale that they were almost white. Her hair was as pale as snow and tied up into a ponytail on the top of her head, though it was ever so slightly off center. The dress she wore was blue and had a short skirt that rested on top of a tulle petticoat. It had a sweetheart style neckline. A white ribbon was wrapped around her neck. Dark blue platform heels were on her feet, making her look a little bit taller.

"P-Princess Dahlia!" The guard on the right gasped in shock and pulled his spear back, bowing apologetically to the newcomer, who seemed to be noble judging by the clothes she wore as well as what she had just been called.

"Princess?" Neil echoed, his eyes going wide. Now that he was looking at her, she looked a lot like the princess of Phazenia. He had seen a few paintings of her back home from when his parents had come to visit Phazenia in years past. Her facial structure matched the youngest face in the royal family, so Neil figured that she was probably going to be their one-way ticket to getting an audience with the king and queen.

"I don't see any reason to not let him in. If he really is the prince of Akaria, then it would be for the best if he came inside to talk to my parents," 'Dahlia' continued. Her hands were placed firmly on her hips as she turned around. "Come on. We have places to be, don't we?"

Dahlia began to walk away, leaving Neil and Azin staring at one another in confusion. It was odd that they had been saved by none other than a member of the family they were here to speak with. Neither one of them had an objection to it, of course, but it was strange.

The group trailed after Dahlia as they walked through the halls of the palace. It was rather nice inside, Neil had to admit. The walls were the same pale blue as the exterior, he noted. The floors were covered in a red fabric that Neil had seen before making up capes worn by nobles that had visited Akaria before. When his home was compared to the Phazenian castle, it looked like nothing more than a simple hut.

"Why exactly did you help us?" Neil asked, dashing to catch up with Dahlia and tap her on the shoulder.

"That's none of your business," Dahlia snipped at him in response, her hand flying up to remove his hand from her shoulder. "Just come on. We have places to be."

Nobody said anything after that, instead choosing to follow Dahlia silently. She clearly wasn't in much of a mood to talk, so it would be best if they all fell quiet for the time being. Neil watched the way Dahlia moved. She had an air of importance about her, one that he found to be rather fitting of a royal. She also seemed to be a bit closed off in his eyes, which meant that getting much of anything out of her was going to be difficult.

Dahlia led the group through many winding hallways until they came to a pair of large doors. They were made of metal and stretched up many feet above everyone's heads. Neil had to stare up, straining his neck in the process, to get a good look at the top of the doors. Dahlia reached out to touch the door handle on the right door. Neil went to grasp the handle of the left door, where he realized that it was cold to the touch. The palace had been relatively warm when compared to the bitter outside air, but it seemed that this was where that warmth ended and gave way to cold instead.

"Lady Dahlia!"

The group turned around to see a newcomer dashing towards them. She had red hair that was tied into a ponytail with green eyes. A golden circlet sat on top of her head. It glimmered in the light of the torches that sat on the walls on either side of the hall. She had a light brown chest plate that tried (and failed) to hide her busty chest and a black miniskirt. Red was wrapped around her skirt. She had grown boots with heels, though hers weren't quite as exaggerated as Dahlia's. She had brown gloves going up her arms as well.

Dahlia walked towards the girl and frowned. "Ricola?" she asked. "What's wrong? You look like you're in a hurry."

"I guess I am..." This new girl, who seemed to be named Ricola, leaned over. She placed her hands on her knees and panted, seeming to have been running for quite a while before arriving in front of Dahlia. "Something is wrong..."

"What's going on?" Dahlia questioned, looking down at the redhead with narrowed eyes. "Did somebody get hurt?"

"Something like that... The palace is under attack!" Ricola exclaimed. "The enemies are just now swarming through the front gates, so we have a little bit of time to get away, but we need to do it now!"

"What?!" Dahlia cried out. She shot a glance back at Neil and his party. "Were you responsible for this?!"

"Of course not!" Neil shouted.

"He looks Akarian... The people who are breaking in wear the armor of Thotia..." Ricola explained. "I don't think that he's behind this... If so, then he betrayed his country for the one that invaded it..."

"I would never! I'm here because I want to make sure that the people of Akaria end up safe until we can drive Thotia out!" Neil had a fire in his eyes, angered that he had been accused, but a hand on his shoulder from Azin got him to calm down.

"We have to move regardless of what your motives are!" Dahlia said in a panic.

"I brought you something, milady," Ricola told Dahlia. "Akasha has a rapier with her. I believe it to be the one that was used by the previous ruler before she fell."

"B-But I can't use a sword! Cedric is so much better than I am!" Dahlia cried.

"We might have to fight our way out, so you're going to have to at least try to fight back if we want to have a chance at escape," Neil told her. He drew his own blade and glanced around. "What's the best path to safety?"

"There are some tunnels under the palace that end just outside the castle down and then go above ground. Maybe we can go there," Ricola suggested. "Wherever we go, we need to do it fast. I suspect that the Thotians will be upon us any minute now."

"Where are my parents? And what about Cedric? They're still here! We need to make sure that they're safe!" Dahlia exclaimed next.

"I'm sure that they'll be fine! For now, we need to keep going to make sure that nobody here gets killed!" Azin shouted to Dahlia. "Show us the entrance to this passageway!"

Dahlia nodded slowly and pushed open one of the two doors to the throne room. It was empty. There were no signs of Dahlia's parents nor of this 'Cedric' that Dahlia and Ricola had both mentioned. They didn't have enough time to concern themselves with their whereabouts, so Dahlia instead dashed to the other side of the room. She moved a large painting of the royal family to the side, heaving as she did so, to reveal a small door that was carved into the wall. Dahlia pushed the door open as Neil continued to look at the painting. There was an older woman in the painting as well as a man that looked to be about her age. Dahlia was in front of the woman. A boy that looked to be about Dahlia's age stood next to her. That must have been Cedric, Neil deduced.

"Come on!" Dahlia said. She ran through the open door as quickly as she could, Ricola following her. Neil and Azin were directly behind them, the others all trailing after the prince. Gale, who was the last one through, shut the door behind himself before continuing to walk through.

"This place is dark," murmured Neil. Azin responded by pulling out a fire tome that had been in a satchel on his shoulder and lighting a small flare between his fingers. "Thanks," Neil told his retainer. Azin nodded curtly.

"There you are. I was wondering when you'd be getting here."

Dahlia gasped from her place at the front of the group. Before her stood a young man next to a pegasus. The pegasus let out a whinny and trotted over to Ricola, who stroked her gently. She seized a rapier from the pegasus' bag and passed it to Dahlia, who accepted it quickly, before picking up a lance that was also tied to the steed. Ricola looked over it before mounting the pegasus. Neil figured that this was the Akasha that Ricola had brought up a few minutes before, though he hadn't expected her to be a pegasus of all things.

The young man before the group had black hair that was tied into a low ponytail and bangs that hung low over his eyes, creating something of a shadow over his face. His eyes were brown, though it was difficult to see them due to the shadow caused by his hair. He had a white shirt under a black and purple tailcoat. He had black trousers and shoes on as well. About four daggers were neatly tucked away on his belt in different pouches. Dark gloves covered his hands, which were both clasped in front of him.

"Jaxon!" Dahlia cried out. She ran towards the young man. "What are you doing here?!"

"Ricola told me to come here and wait for you guys with Akasha." Jaxon let out a yawn and covered his mouth with one hand. "I didn't really want to, but I guess I didn't have much of a choice."

"The palace is under attack, so I'm afraid you won't be able to go back to your room for a nap anytime soon, Jaxon," Dahlia explained in a hurry. When Neil looked a bit closer, he could see that she was shaking lightly, though he doubted that somebody like Dahlia would ever admit that to him.

"We should keep going. If we're lucky, then Cedric and your parents will be here soon," Ricola told Dahlia. "The sooner we get out of here, the better off we'll be. We can't have Thotia getting their hands on you."

"I hope they come..." Dahlia shook her head to herself to shake off the doubt that was overtaking her quickly. "We don't have time to focus on that now. Let's just keep going."

The gentle sound of footfall could be heard in the distance. Dahlia paused for a moment and turned. It sounded as if the incoming person was from behind her, which meant that they must have come in through the passageway behind the painting. Since not many people knew about it, and those that did were either royals or retainers to said royals, she figured that it was somebody from her family. It could have easily been her brother or one of her parents, and she didn't want to leave them behind if they were so close.

"Princess Dahlia, I don't think that's anyone we know," came the cautious words of Ricola. She grabbed Dahlia's wrist and pulled her along. "We know that only your parents, brother, and their closest advisors are aware of this tunnel's existence, but from the sound of it, that's way too many people to be your parents or brother. Something must have gone wrong."

"This way!"

The faraway cry was enough to make Dahlia gasp and start running. She knew everybody that worked in the castle like the back of her hand, so she would have recognized their voice if it was somebody she had met before. Ricola was right.

"We need to move," came the hurried words of Hisari. She hopped onto her pegasus and nudged the steed to urge her forward. "They'll be on us any minute if we don't start going faster."

Ricola did the same with her own pegasus, allowing Dahlia to get on behind her before having Akasha begin moving. "It might just be safer to face them and fight. I doubt that Thotia would send all its soldiers down here, as there was no guarantee that we'd really be inside," Ricola said. "We don't want them catching us and calling for reinforcements, so we should just go on and take care of them."

"Let's protect Princess Dahlia for one. She doesn't seem to know how to fight as well as the rest of us," Neil declared. "Everybody else, get ready to fight!"

Nobody could say any other words of preparation. A soldier bearing a large axe had appeared in the illumination of Azin's fiery spell. He let out a cry to urge his fellow Thotians onwards and towards the group before them. The fire diminished itself quickly, showing that Azin was about to do something new.

Azin murmured a few words under his breath before letting yet another spell break free. Ice magic flew at a rapid pace before slamming into the soldier with the axe. He fell to the ground in pain not long after, his weapon being left to just slide across the now icy ground.

Azin continued to keep the fire in his right hand burning as the others fought. They would be no good trying to fight in the dark, so he would have to step back with Dahlia to keep the tunnel lit. Dahlia was standing just behind him, watching with awe as his fiery magic crackled between his fingers.

Hisari was the next one to move. She raised the spear in her hand above her head and tossed it in one fluid motion. It slammed into the shoulder of another soldier, sending him to the ground in an instant. Hisari's pegasus bounded over to him before Hisari drew the spear out to prepare and use it a second time.

Syalla cut through another fighter's lance, leaving it in two pieces on the cold floor. The soldier immediately turned around and started running, likely going to call for reinforcements now that the party had been found. Syalla, however, wasn't going to allow this. She nudged Circe lightly, which made the wyvern let out a mighty roar. The ceiling began to cave in, sending rocks falling to the ground from the noise, trapping this soldier in with Neil, Dahlia, and the others.

The fighting force had now been cut in half because of the sudden rockslide. There were only about seven people left, which would be no match for Neil's group. The Akarian lord jumped forward and sliced through one soldier with his rapier, stepping back shortly after. He let Xavier deal the finishing blow with his bow from nearby. The two shared a small smile once the soldier had stopped moving.

Ricola managed to defeat a second enemy with the help of Gale. Julian snuck up behind a third soldier and sliced through his armor with one quick swipe of his arm. The knife's strength had metal falling to the ground instantly before Julian lashed out a second time, taking care of the fighter this time around.

Dahlia watched all of this with wide eyes. Everybody was contributing in some way, it seemed. Neil was leading the charge. Syalla, Hisari, Xavier, Gale, and Julian all followed his orders like he was an experienced general and they were his soldiers. Ricola and Jaxon were doing their best to keep one soldier that had broken through the others away from Dahlia. Jaxon took care of him not long after. Azin, meanwhile, was keeping the area well-lit so that the fight could continue, even if he wasn't directly participating in it himself.

Everybody was doing something except for her.

Something gnawed at Dahlia's core. It bothered her that she wasn't doing anything to help out. She had a blade, a rapier that had been once used by the previous queen of Phazenia, her aunt. However, she wasn't doing anything to hold the invaders back. Instead, she was standing at the back and letting everybody risk their lives for her sake since she didn't know how to fight well enough to join the fray.

It was her duty to help them out. Even somebody who didn't have the same royal blood as her would know that. Dahlia looked down at her rapier, which had been named Espada, before glancing back up at the madness. Neil, Hisari, and Syalla were taking care of a fifth foe. Xavier and Gale were combatting another one alongside Julian. The final fighter was fighting against Ricola and Jaxon. Jaxon barely managed to dodge a swipe of his sword, but it was far too close to comfort for Dahlia.

Before Dahlia had any clues as to what she was doing, she dashed forwards and moved Espada in for a stab. Jaxon gasped upon seeing her and Ricola's eyes went wide. "What are you-" the pegasus knight tried to say, but she never got the chance to finish her sentence.

Dahlia had the sword-bearing soldier on the end of her rapier. There was a wound in his stomach. Blood was dripping slowly from Espada. The man fell backwards and coughed for a minute before falling silent. Dahlia pulled her blade back and stared at it as the other two remaining enemies went down.

"That was..." Jaxon began to say. His voice trailed off into nothingness before he could finish.

"I suppose that your lessons with Lord Cedric are working out well after all," murmured Ricola. She put her lance away, still staring with wide eyes at Espada.

"That's the last of them," Syalla cut in. She pointed back to the cave, which was now blocked off by rocks. "There's no way for anyone to follow us now. We don't need to worry about them tracking us down."

"B-But... But now my parents and brother can't escape..." Dahlia whispered. The reality of what had happened was kicking in now. She fell to her knees, still staring at the bloodied Espada. "We've made a horrible mistake... Now, there's no way they're going to get out safely...!"

"I'm sure that they'll be okay," Ricola tried to assure her. She dismounted from Akasha and walked to Dahlia's side. The redheaded knight wrapped an arm around Dahlia's shoulders after crouching down to her height. "For now, we need to get moving. If the Thotians realize that the path is blocked, they'll know that we came through here. They'll try to blow it up, which means that we'll really be in trouble."

"Yeah... Okay..." Dahlia murmured. She let Ricola help her to her feet. Ricola offered to let Dahlia ride on the back of her pegasus, which Dahlia responded to with a silent nod. She would need to clean off Espada at the soonest opportunity.

What had she been thinking? Espada was a blade sacred to her family. It had been important for years upon years. It was one of the only living reminders of her aunt left, and she had used it to fight when it was meant to be just an heirloom. On top of that, she had used it to kill. She must have been going crazy if she really thought something like that was a good idea.

Dahlia just hoped that her father would be able to forgive her once they saw each other again. She couldn't say for sure if he would, but she could pray.

Dahlia's stomach twisted itself into a knot when she realized that it was no longer a matter of if he forgave her or not, but rather, if they ever saw each other again. If this was really war, which it seemed to be, then the chances were slim, and only the gods would be able to tell what was to come in the future. She could pray all that she wanted, but she wouldn't know for sure until she found him dead on the ground or miraculously alive.

* * *

The palace of Xylia was in just as much disarray as it had been in before. Ever since the invasion, the palace had been an eerie place, a grave for many servants that had lived there before Thotia had attacked. Due to the greed of the monarchs, it was rare for even the maids and butlers to be fed properly, and because of the malnutrition, many were unable to run and thus perished because of Thotia. The stench of blood likely would never fade, even when the war had been over for many a year.

Oddly enough, it had proven to be quite the pain in the neck for Thotia as well. The soldiers in the area had been searching for ages, trying desperately to find a blade that was meant to be kept in the palace. It was the entire reason that this disaster had taken place. The king and queen of Thotia had asked the king and queen of Xylia if they were willing to hand over the sword, but when they had refused, Thotia made plans for war. Now, the war was in full swing, and yet the blade was nowhere to be found.

The royals had evaded capture somehow as well. At the very least, the heirs had. The king and queen had died at the hands of the general who took the palace. They were executed swiftly after the invasion had begun when they tried to fight back, but they didn't get the opportunity. Instead, they had faced death since they didn't know how to fight. They hadn't ever been taught, as the royals before them had thought that war wouldn't come for decades, which was ultimately their downfall.

The three heirs were nowhere to be found. They could have easily been anywhere, even in plain sight. Nobody had ever seen the heirs of Xylia, the crown prince and his younger sisters (who just so happened to be twins), as the king and queen rarely let them leave the palace. Only the most important and elite of guards and servants were allowed the chance to witness them. However, since they had all died in the invasion, no one could tell Thotia what they looked like. It was an annoyance, but there was nothing the Thotians could do about it. They had dug this hole for themselves by killing people who may have known the truth, so they had to get out of it themselves as well.

It was likely that one of them had the sword. Supposedly the crown prince was taught in the ways of the lance and the sword, which meant he could easily have it. The middle child knew only the spear, which meant she was unlikely to have it if she didn't even know how to use it. The youngest, a girl who was well-versed in the ways of the axe, was also unlikely. She could barely use a sword, so the chances of her parents allowing her to lay her hands on the sacred blade of Xylia were slim.

That left the crown prince. If only Thotia knew what he looked like... A hair color would even be useful. No matter his hair color, the general holding Xylia's palace could easily request for all of his men to capture people with the color of the Xylian prince's hair. It would make it easier to find the one, even if it took a long time. At this point, Thotia was willing to try anything if it would result in the capture of the Xylian prince. The most important thing going on in the war was the search for that boy. He was supposedly in his twenties, a young man who followed rules without an objection and was kind to all people he met, but this was only speculation from the lips of the Xylian townspeople that lived near the castle. None of them had seen him, and now, none of them ever would due to the war effort. Not even Thotia was sure if they would ever see him.

However, unbeknownst to every soldier in Thotia, he was hiding just under their noses. Crown Prince Akamatsu of Xylia was inside of the palace, stroking his horse as he reflected on the war thus far. Nearby, a purple-haired young man was sleeping, a girl with lengthy curls sitting beside him as she breathed peacefully in her slumber. They were the crown prince's retainers, sworn to follow him to the ends of the continent to ensure that he was safe. Akamatsu looked at them for a moment before pulling out his sword. It was similar in shape to the Espada blade held by the heir to Phazenia, though he wasn't aware of that. He was lucky that nobody had found him with it yet.

But he got the feeling that his luck was due to run out any minute now, and sure enough, he was right.

* * *

 _ **And here I present you with an update. Voila.**_

 _ **This is my last week of school, which means that hopefully I'll be able to put out two updates per week instead of just one. I can't make any promises, but I hope to at least attempt it for a little while. If it crashes and burns, oh well. At least I tried.**_

 _ **You may have noticed that I didn't update on here for the past few weeks. At least not on this story. I only update one story every Thursday, as I really don't have the time to put 5k words into a new chapter for each story per week. It would take me around seven and a half hours to do if I was typing quickly without distractions, but that barely ever happens since I have a really short attention span sometimes. Rip.**_

 _ **Also, I will be going out of town next week. That means that I am not positive that I will be updating next Thursday since I'm going to be visiting my older brother in New York from Saturday to Thursday. I'll be away from my computer all that time and I'll be busy, which means that I probably won't be able to update. One reason that I'm going on and getting this out of the way (I finished it on Monday to put it into perspective) is so that I can type the next chapter of Quiet after the Hurricane.**_

 ** _I don't think I've mentioned it on this story yet, so I have another announcement. I'm cross-posting now! My fan fiction chapters from here are being put on my Wattpad page (which has the same name as this account). Right now I'm in the middle of doing Evolution Adventure, but this one will start up soon. You can get update notifications over there for when I put stuff up in case I end up breaking the routine if you decide to look into it over there. Nice._**

 ** _That's about it as far as big announcements. I hope you enjoyed! Things are getting real now, so I hope you'll keep reading!_**

 ** _-Digital_**


	12. Support Conversations (5)

**~ Syalla and Hisari ~**

Syalla: Hisari? You sure are far from camp tonight. I expected you to be with everyone else near the campfire. The weather isn't exactly kind to us right now.

Hisari: I was just thinking about how things would be if we weren't here fighting the war.

Syalla: What? Why are you thinking about that?

Hisari: I don't know. I just... Ever since this all started, I can't stop thinking about what we could be doing now if the Thotians hadn't invaded. It probably wouldn't be too enjoyable, that's for sure. Mother and Father would just be yelling at me about not having the family magic.

Syalla: ...

Hisari: You know that's how it would be. Mother practically never shut up about the damn power when we were growing up. 'A queen needs to have black magic if she ever wants to take the throne. Your brother may not have it since he's not fit for it, but at least he's a carrier unlike you!' Tch. Typical of her.

Syalla: Last time, you were talking about what would happen after the war. I get the feeling I know what all of this is about now.

Hisari: H-Huh? Go on, tell me what's up.

Syalla: You're afraid things will go back to the way they were before the Thotians invaded.

Hisari: I... Um...

Syalla: You don't need to hide things from me.

Hisari: Fine... I-I know it's horrible, but I'm almost glad that the Thotians invaded our home. I'm mad that all the people of Xylia are hurting because of it, but I'm okay that our parents are gone. Gods, my entire life has just been one giant argument with them. I'm not fit to rule, I'm too rebellious, I'm a bother... You heard what they'd say. I know it's awful that I'm saying this, but...

Syalla: You were sick of the constant verbal abuse.

Hisari: Y-Yeah, I guess I was...

Syalla: And you don't want things to go back to the way they were before. Even if our parents are gone, the common people might find out that you don't have the magic of the royal family. They might ridicule you the same way Mother and Father did before they died.

Hisari: And if you're not there, I'll have no one to vouch for me. Gods know where Akamatsu is right now. He might be with Mother and Father for all we know.

Syalla: I have faith our brother is out there somewhere. Anyone that's like him knows how to put up a fight.

Hisari: You're right... Thanks for talking to me, Syalla.

Syalla: It was my pleasure. If you need reassurance again, come find me. You don't have to close yourself off.

Hisari: Thanks again.

Syalla: No problem.

 **~ Syalla and Hisari have attained support level A ~**

* * *

 **~ Gale and Xavier ~**

Xavier: Wow! Gods, Gale, you got that deer easily! I never would have guessed that you would be such a good hunter!

Gale: Truthfully, me neither.

Xavier: When we get back home, I'm sure everyone will want to hear about what you've been doing! It's impressive that you managed to learn how to do it this fast! In time, you'll be the best melee hunter in our village! No, the area! No, all of Phazenia! You're absolutely amazing, Gale!

Gale: I don't know if I would go that far... I'm just starting out as far as hunting goes. I'm positive that you're much more skilled than I ever will be.

Xavier: I would go that far! You're incredible!

Gale: Well... Thanks, I suppose...

Xavier: No problem! It's my pleasure!

Gale: Xavier, I... I need to apologize to you.

Xavier: Huh? For what?

Gale: You see, I was trying to shut you out earlier. I was thinking of you as annoying instead of trying to talk to you. We never talked much back in the village, and now that we're much closer due to the war, I didn't know how to handle it. I guess that I'm just too used to being alone. I still haven't gotten used to being around all these other people that are part of our fighting force quite yet. It's radically different from what I've seen all my days before this. I'm sorry for taking it out in an inappropriate fashion. I shouldn't have been so rude to you.

Xavier: I got the feeling that you were just lonely and needed a little bit of support to open up. I could see that you were mad, but I could also tell that you wanted human interaction. You always seemed closed off and lonely. I didn't like that. Even if you were surly and rough on the outside, I never got the feeling you were really trying to be mean. You're as soft as a little puppy in my eyes!

Gale: I never would have expected to find companionship in someone so different from me, but... I suppose that life can surprise you in all sorts of ways.

Xavier: Yeah! And I'm glad that I decided to approach you. You're a lot cooler than I would have thought you would be. Plus, you're a really good hunter. I'm drawn to people like that.

Gale: I guess this means we're friends now...

Xavier: You're just now thinking that we're friends? I thought we had been friends all along.

Gale: Really?

Xavier: Of course!

Gale: Well... Thanks. I'm glad to be your friend, Xavier.

Xavier: Same to you!

Gale: Wait... Did you just call me a little puppy?

 **~ Gale and Xavier have attained support level A ~**

* * *

 **~ Dahlia and Ricola ~**

Ricola: Lady Dahlia?

Dahlia: What is it, Ricola?

Ricola: O-Oh, I just wanted to see how you were holding up. I know that all of this has happened so suddenly... I can tell that you're upset over all that has happened, which is natural, so I wanted to talk to you.

Dahlia: I'm doing fine, Ricola. I mean it.

Ricola: It doesn't seem that way... Forgive me if I'm prying, Lady Dahlia. I'm just worried about you. Your father and mother are nowhere to be found. We haven't a clue where your brother is. You must be so torn up inside.

Dahlia: Ricola, I told you. I'm fine. Would you leave me alone now?

Ricola: I-If that's what you want... But I'm not going to leave until you've made it clear that you're alright. I'm your retainer, Lady Dahlia. You can trust me to tell me anything that's on your mind. You know that.

Dahlia. I don't need to say anything to you. I'm doing fine.

Ricola: Would you please talk to me? You look like you're going to cry...

Dahlia: For the last time, Ricola, I'm fine! Gods, would you just listen to me for once?! If I tell you that I'm fine, I mean it! It's rude to assume someone is lying, especially your liege!

Ricola: A-Alright... I-I apologize... Gods, it's like I care more about the safety of her brother than she does...

Dahlia: Wh-What was that?

Ricola: I'm just worried about Lord Cedric... I hope that he wasn't hurt in the invasion on the palace... I don't know what I'll do if he was...

Dahlia: Why are you so worried about my brother? He's surely fine. You know how strong he is.

Ricola: The Thotian army is strong... I hope he wasn't injured in the invasion... If he was captured...

Dahlia: I suppose they are powerful...

Ricola: Don't worry. I'll protect you though. I promise.

Dahlia: Alright... Thank you... And... Sorry I yelled. I'm just worried about my family.

Ricola: You aren't the only one...

Dahlia: Do... Do you think they'll all be okay?

Ricola: I'm sure your brother was able to get away... He's an able fighter. He was teaching you to fight before the war began, so he can defend himself if need be. Your mother is skilled in magic, so I'm sure she is safe as well.

Dahlia: What about my father?

Ricola: You know how powerful he is. Your father will be fine. Soon, they'll all be back with us and Thotia will have to leave the Phazenian palace for good.

Dahlia: You're right. Thanks, Ricola.

Ricola: No problem... Gods, I hate lying to her... But at the same time, I get the feeling she's lying to herself too...

 **~ Dahlia and Ricola have attained support level C ~**

* * *

 _ **This update is a bit later in the day (aka just after midnight) since I wanted to wait until Friday to post it. Why?**_

 _ **It's my friend's birthday. She and I have been close for about three years now, so I decided to update this on her birthday. She's the one who made Dahlia, Ricola, Jaxon, Cedric, Caspian, and a newer character named Taneeya. I'm not going to go on a whole speech here about how close we are, so I'll just say happy birthday Goro-Akechi! Even if I am relentless in Uno sometimes (JUSTICE FOR NOM), I still love you! No homo!**_

 _ **Now for reviews!**_

 _ **Dubrovnik: We'll have to see what happens to them. Around chapter ten, we go to Xylia and see everything that's going on with them. I'll just say that the crown prince ends up in some trouble.**_

 _ **Guest: The reinforcements thing would likely just bring about trouble. The Phazenian king would probably be the most likely to recognize Neil, but he's kind of a terrible person (though I would use many other words to describe him), so he wouldn't want to do that. Reinforcements would just bring an unnecessary fight about. As for the incoming army, I'm going to explain that in detail in a coming update. Basically, Thotians are well-versed in magic most of the time, so they can make themselves invisible and stuff. To make things worse for Phazenia, the royal guard is small since the king thinks himself to be invincible and stuff. He's still not a good person. And yes, magic swords. We don't get our next one for a while, but there's the first one.**_

 ** _That's about it for this update. Once again, happy birthday to ma girl! For everyone else, I hope you enjoyed!_**

 ** _-Digital_**


	13. Chapter Four: Escaped

It took roughly twelve hours before the group was able to stop walking once they had escaped the underground pathway. Neil let out a sigh as he leaned up against an ice-coated tree. "I think we're good for now," he exhaled in relief.

"What are we supposed to do to help the others?" Ricola asked, hopping off the back of Akasha. She stroked her pegasus' mane gently. "I mean, Lord Cedric is still at the palace and so are his retainers..."

"They've got to escape. You know that my brother is a good fighter," Dahlia said, though she was more assuring herself than she was assuring her redheaded servant.

"We don't have much time to be lazing around right now. If we want to stay alive, we need to camp here and have someone keep watch," Azin declared. "We can't chance getting into any sort of trouble or danger right now, especially since Thotia will be much more alert after the invasion on the Phazenian palace earlier today."

"I'm pretty sure that there's an abandoned fortress around here somewhere..." Jaxon told the group with a yawn.

"An abandoned fortress? Why would there be an abandoned fortress here?" asked Neil.

"The king used to have people in it to guard the inner country... But when people started dying or leaving, he stopped sending people here," Jaxon explained. "It's not that far away. We can sleep in there for the night. Better than sleeping on the snow."

"Yes. Let's go there instead of staying here. I hate sleeping in the cold like this," Xavier agreed. "Lead the way."

* * *

A young woman sat inside of the fort, specifically in the room on the top floor overlooking the surrounding area. She hated being here. Of all the places that she could have been, she would have preferred being anywhere else.

Her name was Taneeya. She was the retainer to the crown prince of Thotia, a young man by the name of Dusk. She had a black mask over her face regularly, but at the moment, it was sitting in her hand. She had green eyes and light brown hair, which was lengthy and messy as it fell down her back. She had a black jacket over a light blue shirt. Taneeya also had black shorts over black suspended stockings. Her boots were a dirty brown, clearly having seen quite a bit of use in their many years.

Taneeya didn't want to be inside of this fort. It was just outside the bustling and crowded core of Phazenia, which was the area surrounding the tall and rather imposing palace. She had heard from a messenger that Phazenia's palace had fallen in an invasion. That meant that she was going to have to be on watch from that moment on. For all she knew, she'd have to catch any Phazenians that had tried to escape the castle town that were seeking solitude. She didn't particularly want to do that, but what choice did she have? The king and queen of Thotia had instructed her to do so. She had wanted to be with her lord, Dusk. Even if he didn't particularly like her, at least not as much as he liked his maid, Taneeya preferred his company.

Back home in Thotia, Taneeya had worked alongside Dusk, his maid Soreiyu, and the other two retainers of his, Minette and Pierre. However, when Dusk's parents told him that Thotia was going to invade Xylia and start a continental war, Taneeya had been sent off to this lone fort in Phazenia. Minette and Pierre had been told to take over the forces that were invading Xylia once the kingdom had fallen and kill the royals should they have escaped. They were there now, the reports told Taneeya.

She wanted to be with them, but at the same time, she didn't think it would be the best idea. Taneeya didn't quite belong with the others. Soreiyu was Dusk's maid and closest advisor, so she deserved it. Minette and Pierre were well known all across Thotia for their skills in using the drug known as Rapture, which meant that they also had something that could be of use to the crown prince.

But what could Taneeya do? She could get exiled from her noble bloodline and end up working as a common soldier in the Thotian army, conveniently just before the war broke out. She could be considered lucky that she was still alive due to her thieving skills and speed, but at the same time, she would much rather be dead than watching this damn fort. The fact that she was so far from Dusk reminded her simply that she wasn't meant to be with him. She'd never be with him no matter what.

A knock came at the door of the tower room. Taneeya looked up from staring at her mask before speaking. "Enter," she said darkly.

"A small group of fighters are coming our way," a soldier in the doorway told her. "They might be the rebels that we've been searching for... One of them bears the symbol of the Akarian royal family. He could be the escaped prince. On top of that, two of them... It looks as if the princesses of Xylia survived and got away from the invasion force."

"Three royals in one place?" Taneeya said, her eyes going wide. "Might as well just throw the prince and princess of Phazenia in on top of that. Hell, why not the princesses of the island kingdom of Ellissa?"

"About that... The Phazenian princess is among them as well," the soldier went on. "A scout overheard them saying that they're going to stay in this fort for the night after getting away from the Phazenian palace. We can use this chance to capture them and take them to the king and queen."

"I see... Tell everybody to remain hidden. We'll ambush them when I give the signal," Taneeya said. The soldier nodded and ran from the room.

The young woman couldn't help but let out a sigh. She didn't want to do this. She didn't even want to get tangled up in this war in the first place. However, she had to get money to live off somehow, and being a soldier in Thotia was the only way she had. Until she was able to do things independently, she'd have no choice.

Taneeya rose to her feet and put her mask on. It was time to do something that, while against her moral wishes, would hopefully get the attention of Dusk. Maybe she'd finally get a bit of attention instead of his maid for the first time...

* * *

It was a while before Neil and his party had settled down. The fort was rather large in size and seemed to have two floors, but they mostly stuck to the bottom one. The sun was setting over the horizon. A few mats were laid out on the ground, as Azin had found a stack of them sitting inside a nearby storage closet for them to use. There was one for every member of the army to use.

"It looks like this place really is abandoned," came the murmur of Hisari as she sat down on her mat, dropping her spear to the ground beside her. Her pegasus was nuzzling her for attention as she stroked its hair gently.

"I told you it would be," Jaxon said with a small yawn.

"Let's just get to bed already. Who's keeping watch?" Dahlia asked as she laid down. It was easy to tell based off her tone that she wasn't in the best of moods, though nobody could blame her after what she had been through.

"I will," Ricola volunteered. "If I see any trouble, I'll wake you guys up in the blink of an eye."

"Alright... Night," Dahlia muttered, closing her eyes.

"I guess I'll see you in the morning," Neil sighed. "Thanks for keeping watch, Ricola. Feel free to wake one of us up in a few hours so we can trade out."

"Yeah. You need to sleep too," Julian piped in.

"I got it. You just head to bed for now. Everything will be alright," Ricola smiled. "Akasha and I will be sure nothing goes wrong." Akasha responded with a small whinny of agreement.

A few more murmured wishes of 'goodnight' passed over the party before Ricola was the only one awake. She stared out at the horizon with a stern expression as she stroked Akasha's mane. She couldn't help but feel a little bit drowsy and sleepy after all that had happened that day. The Phazenian palace had been invaded, which had killed gods only knew how many people. Cedric and his retainers, Jubilee and Victor, hadn't been seen since the attack. Victor was a father on top of that, so Ricola didn't have a clue where his daughter, a young girl named Poppy, was either. She was going to keep her eyes open for them, but the chances of seeing them were slim unless some sort of Phazenian resistance was planned to come together.

A shadow darted in out of the corner of her eye. Ricola looked to the side and was met with a young woman with a black mask and brown hair. She didn't look friendly, even if Ricola couldn't see even a piece of her eyes.

"Everybody! Wake up!" Ricola cried out. "I think we're being ambushed!"

The young woman in the mask said nothing. However, around fifteen soldiers appeared surrounding the group not long after, so Ricola didn't need to hear her speak a word. The act of having reinforcements was enough for her. If she squinted, Ricola could see the Thotian crest on the front of their armor. She was positive now that this was an assault from the enemy.

Hisari was the first awake, her lance already in her hand. A soldier with a bow prepared to fire at her, but she wasn't having any of it. Without even mounting her pegasus, she jumped forwards and put her lance through his shoulder, sending his bow to the ground followed shortly after by his body. Hisari slammed her lance on the ground not long after to jolt everyone else awake.

It didn't take long before Azin was up as well. He stretched one arm out, sending a flurry of icicles flying free from his fingers. The ice hit another soldier, this one wielding a thunder tome. The soldier doubled over in sudden pain from the cold before Azin dealt another swift strike, which knocked the soldier out completely. He wasn't dead, but he sure as hell was unconscious and was going to be that way for quite some time.

A pair of strikes came swinging from the entrance to the area, eliminating the guards that had been standing there to prevent anyone from escaping. In the entrance stood a pair of figures, one male and one female.

The man had a flower crown sitting atop his deep brown hair. His eyes were the same dark color. He had light armor on over a gray outfit, which rustled slightly in the oncoming wind. A few segments looked to be somewhat rough, as if they had been torn recently. Furthermore, upon closer inspection, it appeared that there were various colors on a few parts of the trousers, as if a young child had appeared and colored them in with some sort of pen or paint. A steel sword was in his hand.

The woman had lengthy blonde hair and red eyes. She wasn't wearing much of any armor, just a few patches here and there over a fancy blue outfit. A few accessories dotted her body here and there to make her stick out like a sore thumb. The accessories seemed to glimmer and shine in the gentle moonlight overhead. The woman's eyes were a piercing red color. Between her fingers was the handle to an incredibly sharp axe.

Ricola took one look at the newcomers and let out a gasp. Jaxon's eyes widened ever so slightly upon noticing them as well. "Jubilee! Victor!" Ricola cried as she ran to them. "You guys are okay!"

"Yeah... No stupid Thotians can break us!" the young woman, who seemed to be named Jubilee, exclaimed.

"We heard a few shouts coming from this general direction, so we came running as fast as we could," Victor said. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Where's Poppy? She's got to be around here somewhere, right?" Ricola asked.

"She's hiding nearby. I didn't want to bring her into the fight since she could easily get hurt... She's pretty scared at the moment," Victor told her.

"Well, we're going to take care of these guys and then we can bring her inside. She could get sick out in this sort of cold," Ricola said. "Come on. I'll introduce you to everyone later. But first... Where's Lord Cedric? He's got to be with you. I mean, you're his retainers..."

"We weren't with him when those Thotians showed up... He's off somewhere, but we can't really say where," Jubilee explained.

"Gods... We need to look for him after this. He can't have gone far," Ricola nodded. "Now start fighting. The others won't be able to hold these guys off for long without us."

It seemed that for each enemy that was struck down by Neil's rapier, Xavier's bow, Gale's claws, or Dahlia's blade Espada, a few more would appear in their place. The line of enemies seemed to be damn near endless. The stench of blood was filling the fort now as bodies hit the ground. A few empty vulnerary bottles were scattered about as well, used to heal wounds from allies and foes alike.

Xavier's arrows pierced the armor of a nearby soldier, sending him crashing downwards. Gale cut through another enemy's chest plate not long after. The latter was starting to grow tired from all the fighting that was taking place around him. Regardless of how many enemies were downed, it seemed that the wave was never going to end. While all of them had been fighting for quite some time, specifically since the war began, nothing could have prepared them for something as outrageous and taxing as this.

"How are we supposed to stop all of this? There are too many of them," Neil said between heavy breaths to Azin. The mage was standing nearby, casting a wind spell on a soldier with an axe, sending him flying through one of the two windows on the bottom floor of the fort. Said axe user tumbled down a snow-coated hill before vanishing from view.

"We need to go on the defensive to keep anything from going too wrong? We can't have anyone be lost in this battle," Azin responded. "If we can, we should get everyone grouped together near the entrance. This way, we can keep anyone from coming into the fort that way, which should stem the flow of reinforcements. After their numbers have been diminished, we can head for the head honcho of this operation, who seems to be that woman with the mask near the back. She hasn't done much of anything to us thus far, which might be to keep herself from harm."

"Sounds good," Neil nodded. He looked to Syalla, who was slicing a man's spear in half with her axe. Syalla saw him glance over at the door and had her wyvern fly over to the entrance. Luckily, the ceilings in the fort were high enough for flight, so Syalla, Hisari, and Ricola could all battle from above, though their space was quite limited since they were still inside a building.

Jubilee and Victor were already proving themselves to be capable fighters. Jubilee was rather quick and able to cut down anyone who tried to get in her way easily and quickly. Victor was somehow even faster, so he was dodging attacks left and right before finishing off any remaining foes with his blade. Not many escaped the wrath of Jubilee, but those that did weren't long for this world thanks to Victor's sword.

Gale and Xavier, who had been fighting side by side previously, were forced to back up to the door after a few sword-bearers appeared beside them. Xavier couldn't attack at close range since his arrows couldn't gain enough power without distance, which kept pushing him backwards. Gale was to stay by his side to keep him safe from any melee attackers, which meant that he ended up by Neil's side in the doorway not long after the sword users appeared. Xavier quickly dashed behind Gale to stand beside Azin, shooting arrows between Neil and Gale (who had formed a wall in front of the door) at any weakened soldiers to finish them off.

Julian was weaving in and out of the crowd with his sword and dagger, using both to stop anyone around him. Upon noticing the group that was gathering at the door, he began to make his way over there. Because of his speed, which came from being a thief, he was able to reach his destination not long after setting it in his sights. On the way, he swept at least five or so soldiers off their feet, sending them crashing to the hard floor of the fort.

Jaxon hurled knives at his foes where he stood between Dahlia and Neil (both of whom had just arrived at his side). Ricola, Syalla, and Hisari were overhead as they attacked. Hand axes and javelins were thrown at those down below, helping to pick off any remaining weaker soldiers that had survived blows from Dahlia, Neil, Azin, Gale, or Jaxon. Not many managed to get away from the onslaught.

While one would have expected the flow of enemies to finally slow now that the group was standing in the doorway to ensure no ambushers could appear, that wasn't exactly the case. The number of soldiers pouring in from the upper floor of the fort was insane. With how many of them there were, the chances of the group being able to hold them off were slim. Their only hope was to wait for their stamina to run out, which likely wasn't going to be happening anytime soon.

Taneeya was watching as the other soldiers came running in from the upper floor. She had her arms crossed over her chest. She had to admit that the opposing side was rather strong. She never would have expected someone as prissy and stuck up as the princess of Phazenia to be so talented with a sword. However, the more that she looked at it, the more that she knew what it was.

The continent of Qinia had five sacred swords scattered across it. Each country had one of the five. Phazenia had Espada, otherwise known as the Water Emblem. That was the sword inside of Dahlia's hand at the moment. None had told her of the worth of her blade, likely to keep her from being too reckless with it. She thought that it was just a family heirloom, though in truth, it was much, much more.

Thotia's crown prince, the one and only Dusk, had the sword known as Shei. It had the title of the Energy Emblem. Dusk had been told that the sword had great power, but never really took to using it much. He instead preferred to look into the art of dark magic in his free time, so Shei had been gathering dust for quite some time now.

The other three blades were in one of the other three kingdoms. Ellissa's royal family had one, the Air Emblem that went by the name of Kysima, which currently belonged to the older princess, Kiyoko. The same applied to Xylia. Xylia's crown prince, Akamatsu, held the Earth Emblem, otherwise known as Skemni. However, one thing that Taneeya found odd about this encounter was that the prince of Akaria was clearly present, and yet, the Fire Emblem, sword of Akaria, was nowhere to be seen. The Fire Emblem also went by the name of Kikalo. Taneeya hadn't received much information regarding the war before she was sent off to guard this fort, but what she did know was that the king and queen of Thotia wanted all five swords for some reason that Taneeya didn't understand. She knew it wasn't her place to know. Being a mere retainer to Dusk, she had no rights to know anything of the situation involving the swords, their meaning to the Thotian royals, or anything else pertaining to them and the war.

Taneeya was noticing how the group at the entrance was growing overwhelmed. Even with two new fighters present (though Taneeya hadn't the slightest clue where they had come from), the enemy stood no chance. Taneeya had never been in charge of a large battalion of fighters like this, as she wasn't any sort of army commander, so she wasn't entirely sure what to do other than have them swarm the group of fighters on the other side of the fort. Her only order to her men was to eliminate the invaders, as that would be what the crown would want undoubtedly, and who was Taneeya to question the whims of the Thotian royals that gave her a living?

Neil and his party were growing tired by this point. All of them were running short on energy due to the onslaught. Blades that were swung held no motivation, instead being desperate. Julian was beginning to pant after all of his running around to cut throats and steal equipment from the Thotian soldiers that he ended. Azin's tomes were growing thinner as pages became spells that attacked the Thotians, so he'd be out of weapons within a matter of minutes.

However, there was one person who didn't seem to be ready to give up. Syalla was throwing her axe about passionately, though her expression was stern. With the number of Thotians, though, she wouldn't be able to eliminate them all, even with this burst of energy. It was as if she knew that, was positive that hope was fading, when...

Neil looked up to see Syalla was being surrounded by a dark aura. He thought for a moment that it was dark magic, that one of the enemy mages was casting a spell on her, but she didn't at all look hurt or distressed. Instead, she had a look of focus and determination. The dark energy surrounding her began to grow in intensity before she let out a sharp yell and it fanned out around the fort, knocking all the enemy soldiers to the ground, rendering most unconscious instantly.

Taneeya was throwing into the back wall. She couldn't help but cry out in pain as she slumped down to the floor, rubbing her head. Her mask had flown off and was sitting a few feet away. She reached out for it when a blade was held to her throat.

Syalla, after having somehow eliminated all the soldiers in the room, was now standing in front of Taneeya with her axe near the Thotian's face. Taneeya's eyes went wide for a moment upon noticing Syalla was there. "Surrender," Syalla demanded, her voice monotone and deadpan.

Taneeya instantly raised her hands into the air, but she was far too focused on Syalla. "You... You're Syalla..." Taneeya murmured.

"How do you-?" Syalla began to ask, though Taneeya was already going to answer her.

"I've received letters detailing the escaped Xylian royals... Akamatsu, the fierce paladin and crown prince... Hisari, the rebellious and disliked redheaded middle child... And finally... Syalla. A young woman gifted with enough of the royal dark magic to last for generations. I didn't know it was you at the start, but... It seems obvious now," Taneeya told her.

"Xylian royalty?" Neil echoed, having appeared next to Syalla during her conversation with Taneeya. "But I thought you were just nobles who had fled Xylia because of the war!"

"Well, now you know the real reason we're out here," Hisari sighed, climbing from her pegasus. She glared at Taneeya once her feet were on the ground. "What does our being royalty matter to you? You're just a Thotian commander out in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of unconscious soldiers."

"I was working as retainer to the crown prince of Thotia, but... I don't really want to be with Thotia anymore," Taneeya said, meeting Hisari's eyes. "I want to help you."

"Why the sudden change of heart? You seemed all too eager to attack us a moment ago," Hisari pressed, drawing her spear and growing closer to Taneeya with her weapon outstretched.

"I have no purpose being in the Thotian army. The royal family finds me expendable, and I don't like that," Taneeya told her. "I have quite a bit of information I can give you. Will that prove my alliance?"

"You have to be giving us some pretty important shit for us to actually take you on board," Hisari snorted.

"You... You're the first princess of Xylia, are you not?" Taneeya asked.

"What's it to you?" Hisari demanded.

"Your brother, the crown prince... He's alive. He's currently being hunted inside of the Xylian palace. He and his retainers are there now. The Thotians there have been playing with them for sport. They're very much alive though," Taneeya told her.

Hisari's eyes instantly widened. "Akamatsu is alive?!" she shouted in surprise.

Taneeya nodded. "I still have the letter in the desk inside the watchtower. You can go and grab it if you wish," she said.

Hisari was off in an instant. She dashed up the stairs to go and retrieve the paper Taneeya had spoken of.

While Hisari was gone, Syalla spoke up. "I have a proposal for you."

"What is it?" Taneeya questioned.

"We take you with us since you have important information. However, if I find that you have been lying to us... I will not hesitate to bring your life to a close. Are we clear?" Syalla said sternly, her eyes narrowed.

"Of course," Taneeya nodded.

Hisari returned not long after, a stack of letters in her hands. She had ended up grabbing all of the reports that Taneeya had received throughout the course of the war. She was reading the top one when she came into view. "It's true! This one is from the Xylian palace! It says that Akamatsu, Chris, and Melior are still alive!" she cried out in excitement.

"Let's head to Xylia, then," Neil said. "We need to find another place to sleep. All of these men are bound to wake up soon, so we can't stay here. We can keep one Thotian under control, but I can't exactly say the same for thirty of them."

"They don't listen to me... They only want what they believe the king and queen want," Taneeya muttered. "I couldn't even keep them under control."

"Then out we go," Syalla declared. "The sooner we can get to the palace of Xylia, the better."

"I'm going to send out a report first... I'll leave it with one of the soldiers saying that I've decided to head to the palace and to keep them alive until I arrive," Taneeya said. "I don't want them to be dead when we arrive..." She knew that she too would find herself on the other side of life if Crown Prince Akamatsu had come to any harm while they were traveling, so she had to prevent that.

"Fine. But after that, we're out of here. I don't know how long these guys will be out," Neil told her. Taneeya nodded and dashed off to write her report.

* * *

After Taneeya had left her report and exited the fort alongside the rebellion force, a soldier rose to his feet. Unbeknownst to Taneeya and everyone else, he had been awake during the entire conversation about Taneeya leaving behind the Thotian army, about her turning traitor to go with the enemy to Thotia.

The report was sitting on the desk on the upper floor. The soldier picked it up and looked at it. Sure enough, it said that Taneeya was abandoning her post to come to the Xylian palace, just as she had said before leaving. The soldier dashed back down the stairs and headed for the entrance. Even if others missed him in the morning, he had something incredibly important to do that couldn't wait until the others had woken up.

Taneeya had turned traitor and was no longer part of the Thotian army. She was with the enemy forces now. On top of that, she was with the twin princesses of Xylia, who had been missing since the invasion on Xylia. To dig her hole even more, the princess of Phazenia was there as well. The soldier had seen the blade known as Espada, the Water Emblem, in her hand, so she had to be the one from Phazenia that Thotia was searching for.

The soldier had to get to the palace of Xylia first. He had to deliver this report about Taneeya's allegiances switching. After all, anyone who betrayed Thotia didn't deserve to get away with it. They didn't even deserve to live...

* * *

 _ **Ha. I'm here again. Nice.**_

 _ **Sorry about the wait for this chapter. Point is, it's here now.**_

 _ **I don't have all that much to say here. There aren't any reviews, and plus, I'm kinda tired. This is being written at about midnight so I'm exhausted and have a backache from sitting on my bed and writing. I'm in the dark too because the light in my room went out and we can't go buy a replacement since tomorrow is the 4th of July and it's late (written on Wednesday).**_

 _ **Well, that's about it. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. We've got supports and then another paralogue coming up next. I'll get a QATH update out later today/tomorrow. Woo.**_

 _ **Now, I disappear. Farewell!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


	14. Support Conversations (6)

**~ Dahlia and Ricola ~**

Dahlia: Ricola! Ricola! Ricola, are you in here? Jaxon said you were in your tent.

Ricola: Ah, Lady Dahlia. It's nice to see you... Is there something you need of me?

Dahlia: I was just wondering something. I need to ask you about this.

Ricola: Alright, go right ahead. What's on your mind?

Dahlia: You... You don't think that I'm a failure, do you?

Ricola: What? Of course not! Where would you get such ideas from? I'm your loyal retainer, Lady Dahlia. I would never think anything ill of you.

Dahlia: You know what? It's nothing. I should get back to my tent before it gets any darker than it already is...

Ricola: No, Lady Dahlia! Wait! I need to know what brought this on! It isn't like you at all!

Dahlia: It's ridiculous anyways. Just leave it alone. Even if it does develop into something to be concerned with, I'll take care of it by myself.

Ricola: I want to help you. Will you please talk to me?

Dahlia: ...

Ricola: Please?

Dahlia: Fine. But only because I knew that you were going to start begging me.

Ricola: I'll take that. What was on your mind?

Dahlia: You... You know how my brother and parents aren't here, right?

Ricola: Yes, I noticed... We didn't get the chance to leave with them during the invasion on the palace...

Dahlia: I've just been thinking about my brother and what he would say if he were around here with us now.

Ricola: And... That made you think that you were a failure? I'm afraid that I don't quite understand...

Dahlia: This is my brother that we're talking about here. He hates me and we both know it.

Ricola: Wh-What? Lady Dahlia, what are you saying?

Dahlia: I assume that you haven't seen him when he's training me then.

Ricola: When he's training you? No, I haven't. I usually stay out of it. I know that's the main time that you have with your brother, so I figured it would be best if I stayed out of it and gave you two some quality time together. He even mentioned that he prefers it when the two of you are alone when he's teaching you to use Espada.

Dahlia: That explains it.

Ricola: Does something happen between you when he's teaching you how to use a sword?

Dahlia: You could say that... He's a tough teacher.

Ricola: I figured that was the case... He's always seemed that way.

Dahlia: He seems to think that I'm a failure who can't learn anything. He yells at me a bunch about how awful I am at it...

Ricola: That's awful... Thank you for telling me about this. I'm sure that soon you'll find a better teacher. Maybe somebody else in the army would work for you.

Dahlia: Maybe... I can only hope so at this point... I can also pray to the gods that Cedric is wrong, even if it seems like he never is...

 **~ Dahlia and Ricola have attained support level B ~**

* * *

 **~ Jubilee and Victor ~**

Victor: Poppy! Poppy! Gods, where is that girl...?

Jubilee: Hi, Victor!

Victor: Ah! Jubilee! You startled me there!

Jubilee: Oops!

Victor: *sigh* Jubilee, can I ask you for your help?

Jubilee: You can ask. Can't say how I'll respond.

Victor: Could you help me look for Poppy? We were playing hide-and-seek since she was getting bored of all the walking we did today... Now that we've made camp, it's okay for us to stop. However, she's a lot better at this than I thought she was. Now I can't find her.

Jubilee: What do you mean, you can't find her?

Victor: Um... It means that I can't find her.

Jubilee: Oh. So it means that you're not being a very good father. Most good fathers don't lose their children.

Victor: Th-That isn't...

Jubilee: Then again, the king lost Dahlia a few years ago. He couldn't find her anywhere, and she was just in her room. I don't think that makes him a bad father.

Victor: Just between you and me, I think he's a bad father for completely different reasons...

Jubilee: Are you talking bad about the king? In Phazenia, that could get you in trouble for treason, you know... King Harold is super strict. He doesn't want anyone thinking badly about him.

Victor: P-Please don't tell anyone-!

Jubilee: Fiiiiiine. I won't. But what will you do for me in return?

Victor: *sigh* I'll give you the leftover soup from the dinner Azin cooked tonight.

Jubilee: Deal!

Victor: What a high-maintenance woman...

Jubilee: Hey! We both know that I could cut off your head with my axe!

Victor: You can't do that-! Then Lord Cedric would have _you_ getting in trouble!

Jubilee: I was kidding, I was kidding... Just like I was kidding about getting you in trouble for treason. I just wanted a bit more soup. Azin's a really good cook. Maybe he should do that instead of serve Lord Neil.

Victor: I doubt that he'd want to do that, Jubilee. He seems content doing what he is now.

Jubilee: I guess so...

Victor: Now, will you please help me look for Poppy? I swear, I'm not a bad father or anything, but I need to find her...

Jubilee: Alright. Let's go. The sooner we find her, the sooner I get my soup as a reward.

Victor: Now that I know you were kidding, do I really need to give it to you?

Jubilee! Hey! You can't pull back on that now!

Victor: I'm going to look for Poppy. Help if you want.

Jubilee: *huff* I swear, that man...

 **~ Jubilee and Victor have attained support level C ~**

* * *

 _ **It's been 300 years...**_

 _ **I kid. I've been updating QATH. Like I mentioned on the most recent update over there, I'm trying to get 1/3 of the way through the book before I go back to school in a few weeks. I have roughly 5 chapters left.**_

 _ **Once I go back to school, I'm going to continue these double updates. I'll hopefully have this story getting updated more than it was this past school year because of it. That's always nice.**_

 _ **Anyways, I'm going to head off now. I want to play some more Octopath Traveler before going to sleep. I'm addicted to that game at this point. I've logged in over 100 hours. Oops. Speaking of, if anybody here has played it, you can probably look forward to an Octopath short story collection coming soon. I've already started one for Alfyn/Therion and have one planned for Primrose/H'aanit. After I finally finish them, I'll post them here.**_

 _ **Until the next update! I hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


	15. Paralogue Two: Light and Dark

On the way to the palace of Xylia, the group had traveled through many smaller villages. For a majority of their overnight stays there, things had been uneventful. Azin had insisted that they keep moving to get to Xylia sooner and to keep trouble out of the towns they were stopping in. The Thotian army was bound to be on their tail as soon as they realized where they were heading. It was a shock that nobody had caught up to them yet. Their march had brought them to all sorts of towns, and yet, Thotia was nowhere to be found. It had been the most peaceful leg of the journey so far, and in a way, everybody was enjoying it. The combat brought excitement, that was for sure, but danger was never far behind. Staying out of it was best for everyone.

After enjoying a good five days of this peaceful break from battle, Neil and friends found themselves in another town. They were slowly getting closer to Xylia's palace, though it was going to take quite some time. They were barely outside of Phazenia. It would still take another few weeks at least to get there. The snow of Phazenia slowed travel considerably. Hisari had been on edge this whole time, likely thinking about her brother. Syalla's expression was a bit more neutral, but anyone could see how concerned she was if they looked at her for long enough. Nobody spoke of it to either one of them though.

The village they had arrived in was a much smaller one. All the buildings appeared to be in a somewhat questionable state. A few of them had deteriorating ceilings and walls that looked liable to cave in at any moment. Azin seemed to be analyzing if this town was safe to stay in. Most of the people didn't seem to notice or care that they had arrived. The strangest thing to him was that nobody had recognized Dahlia yet. In the towns up until this one, she had been wearing a disguise to keep her identity from being revealed, but her cape was blown away by harsh winds one night, so she had to go in without it.

"We should find the armory to stock up on supplies," Azin suggested. "Let's meet back here in a little while. Feel free to explore the town until it's time to reunite. We might need to consider not staying here. This town isn't in the best of shape, but we can evaluate that later on, alright?"

Nobody objected to his ideas. Neil found himself wandering over towards the largest building in the town. It looked like it was some sort of church dedicated to the gods. He hadn't seen one of these in a while. Most churches and shrines were found in bigger cities, so when going through rundown villages, they were far from common. This church seemed to be in pretty good shape from what he could tell. Unlike the other buildings in town, the church didn't look like it was ready to give up and fall into the endless snow. He found his curiosity nagging away at him, so he opened the door and peered inside.

There were only two people inside. One of them appeared to be a dark mage. Neil hadn't seen a dark mage in quite a while, which was to say that he hadn't seen one ever. They weren't very common in Akaria. Dark mages mostly hailed from Thotia or Xylia with a few exceptions. Akarian mages tended to favor light magic over dark. Seeing one in Phazenia was even a surprise to him. He didn't realize that Phazenia even sold dark tomes. None of the towns they had passed through had dark magic in stock, so he figured that there just weren't any dark mages in the country.

The dark mage had hair that was rather long. She was reading a book with a tight frown on her face. She was wearing a dark dress that was tight to her body. She had purple tights on her legs that showed skin through the transparent fabric. Her eyes were a bright blue color, the same shade as the clear skies above most of Phazenia. Her shoes were gold sandals that had straps wrapping around her ankles. She didn't seem to notice Neil standing in the doorway at all.

The other person in the room was a light mage. Neil wasn't quite as surprised to see a light mage in the area. Like Akaria, Phazenia favored light magic. This light mage was a young woman with pink hair tied into a braid going down her back. A few loose strands framed her face. Her skin was fair and dotted with freckles here and there. Her eyes were a blue color. She was wearing a pale blue dress that seemed to be a bit too simple for the harsh weather of Phazenia. She was wearing gray boots that matched the scarf wrapped around her neck. Her fingers, which were covered by tan fingerless gloves, rested gently on a light tome. Her leggings were tan as well. A pair of glasses was sitting on her nose. Instead of turning to stare at Neil now that he was in the room, she was choosing to stare out the window just above the altar of the church. Both the light and dark mages seemed to be too busy to even care that Neil was there.

He was about to just leave them be without saying a word, but the dark mage looked up and noticed him. She stared at him with her sapphire irises in confusion and interrogation. He had to admit, she looked a bit scary when she gazed at him that way, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he took a step backwards and booked it out of the church as quickly as he could. Neil felt like he had disturbed some sort of sacred silence by walking in, but there wasn't a thing he could do about it now.

* * *

Just outside the small town where the group was, Hisari was flying about on her pegasus. After so much marching, she could use a little bit of time to fly. She had been too nervous to before now, thinking that the Thotians would be able to ambush her, but after so many days of no fighting, she was a bit more confident things would be fine now. She couldn't say for sure, but then again, it was entirely unpredictable. It was now or never, it seemed to her.

Hisari had been circling overhead the village for roughly fifteen minutes when she heard a shout of shock. She turned her head over her shoulder to see a large group of Thotians approaching. Her eyes instantly went wide. Her first thought sent her to Taneeya. Maybe the assassin had been lying when she said she was leaving Thotia behind. She could have alerted somebody to tell the Thotians where they were or something along those lines. The Thotians were chasing after the group ruthlessly to eliminate the royals among them, so she could easily get much renown back home if she spilled their location to the enemy.

Hisari didn't give the enemy a moment to strike her. There were far too many of them for her to fight on their own. She could be a bit reckless, but even she knew that attempting to defeat them all was akin to suicide. There were at least twenty of them from what she could tell. There were at least four archers on top of that, so she would easily be swatted aside by a rogue arrow or two. Without any backup, she'd be dead within a matter of minutes.

Hisari commanded her pegasus to land just outside the village. Her steed followed the directions and did so. Hisari took her by the reins and dashed inside the village gates. She couldn't help but feel happiness at how small this town was. If it had been much bigger, then it would have taken her ages to find everybody needed to fight off the intruders. Unfortunately, because the town was as little as it was, it could easily be overtaken by the Thotians if she didn't hurry.

She ran through the streets, praying to run into someone on the way. Lady Luck was not in her favor, however, as she didn't see a single one of her comrades. Every few seconds, Hisari would let out a small swear under her breath and continue her search. There had to be someone around here, right?

After a few moments (though they felt like an eternity due to the adrenaline rushing through her veins), Hisari found herself at the church near the back edge of the town. Somebody might be in there. It was the best building in town from what she could tell since it wasn't falling apart, so there was a solid chance that was the case. Hisari prayed to the gods above that this was the case as her feet took her closer to the church. A chant of hope repeated in her mind too many times for her to count. Once she was standing before the church, she threw the doors opened and glanced around as quickly as she possibly could.

Like the village as a whole, the church was rather small. It had only one room. Pews lined the room, though they were mostly empty. Only two young women could be seen inside, both of them too lost in thought to notice her at first. As soon as the doorhandles slammed into the walls, however, they both jumped slightly and looked to see what was causing all the noise. The smaller of the two, who appeared to be a dark mage, glared at Hisari angrily for the interruption.

"Damn!" Hisari couldn't help but cry out. "Where are they?!" She turned to leave, but before she could get the chance, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"What's wrong?" The other woman, who had pink hair, was looking at her with concern. "Are you okay?" Unlike the other female, she didn't seem bitter at all.

"There's a Thotian force gathering outside the village," Hisari found herself saying, even if she wasn't sure that it was a good idea to spill it. After all, even if these two were mages, they could easily be put in danger if they followed Hisari to fight the Thotians. "I can't find my comrades anywhere... Damn!"

The woman with pink hair got to her feet. Hisari could see a light tome was in her hand. "I can't say I'm very experienced, but I can use light magic," she said. "I can come and help you. I haven't been in this village for long, but I don't want to see the people get hurt this way. Please, allow me to fight with you."

Hisari was too worried about the village being destroyed to object. If she had a tome on her, she likely knew how to use it. Light magic wasn't exactly the easiest to control, but somehow, this mage had an air of sophistication about her that Hisari couldn't help but trust. She nodded and gestured for the young woman to follow after her. She was far too frazzled to even realize that she hadn't asked the young woman for her name, but that could wait for later. A town was at risk of being destroyed, which was a clear priority to hearing someone's name.

Surprisingly, the light mage wasn't the only one to follow after Hisari. The other young woman in the church, who appeared to be a dark mage, also trailed after them, a Nosferatu between the fingers of her slender hands. Hisari didn't notice, instead heading instantly for the edge of the village to begin the defense process.

* * *

Taneeya had been standing just outside the town inn when she saw Hisari go dashing by. The pegasus knight didn't seem to notice her, so Taneeya didn't say anything to speak up. She got the feeling nobody else was quite comfortable with her yet. It was going to take a while to get everyone used to her presence, to put it nicely. Taneeya was willing to be patient. She was just glad that she was away from Thotia where she had been so miserable all those years.

She didn't realize why Hisari was in such a rush until she heard a scream from a woman of the town. She was sprinting away from the village gate, holding a young toddler tightly in her arms. Sensing something was wrong, Taneeya made her way over to the entrance of the village. Her eyes widened when she saw how many Thotians there were. She had never seen so many soldiers at once. How were they supposed to defeat all of them and defend the village?

Neil, Azin, and a few other soldiers came rushing at the scream. Gale and Xavier weren't far behind. Even Lady Dahlia had appeared before them, Espada in her hand. Taneeya had to admit that she was particularly impressed with the princess. She hadn't anticipated a royal to be so skilled with a blade, and yet there she was. Back home, Prince Dusk was a practitioner of dark magic, which was commonplace in Thotia. He was slowly learning how to use the sword, but it was certainly a learning process. Taneeya had been teaching him for a while until Soreiyu had appeared to help him the best she could. It was one of the reasons that Taneeya felt something of jealousy for the maid, but she couldn't dwell on it. She had to focus on fixing the issues caused by her homeland.

"Assume defensive positions, everyone!" came the shout of Azin once everyone had gathered in front of the village. "Our primary goal is to protect the people!"

Taneeya hadn't seen Azin in action very many times, but he seemed to be rather impressive and talented with what he did. His strategy was superior to most found in Thotia, where people relied only on brute strength to pursue their goals. The army was the most impressive on the continent because of this, but it was clear to her that strategy was a subject that Thotia could use some improvement in. Luckily, that could easily be used to their advantage in this battle and most others in the future. For once, Taneeya was glad that her nation had so many shortcomings where combat was concerned, which she never expected to think.

An arrow flew through the air to strike down a pegasus knight. The shot had been fired by Xavier. Gale and Julian were already getting to work as far as taking down whoever they could. Hisari, Syalla, and Ricola were working from the skies. Neil and Dahlia were leading the charge as the lord and lady of the group. Jaxon, Azin, and two newcomers were a bit further behind, doing their best from a distance. Victor and Jubilee were working well together to take down whoever crossed their paths. Even if this army had only formed recently, it seemed as if they had been fighting together for years upon years. Being a part of it, even if the others were a bit hesitant to admit it, Taneeya had to do her part to help out. She was skilled with swords, knives, and bows. Years spent as a thief showed her how to act in stealth, which she was glad for now. If she could prove her capabilities on the battlefield, maybe she'd gain a bit more trust from her allies.

Taneeya nocked an arrow onto her bow and let it fire. The arrowhead struck an enemy square in the chest, sending the lancer falling backwards. He was dead before he hit the ground. Taneeya didn't have many arrows on her since the others were insisting that a majority of them go to Xavier. Everyone thought her too dangerous to have a large amount. As annoying as it was, she could manage. Taneeya put her bow back in its place on her spine and rushed into battle, dagger in hand. She slit a few throats before taking a few steps backwards. Being a melee fighter, it wouldn't be difficult to surround her and leave her unable to fight. She was going to have to rely on the help of the other members of the force, which didn't sit well with her. They didn't care if she lived or died, as she could have easily been nothing more than a Thotian spy in their eyes. She'd have to take care of herself, which meant she would be able to do as much. So much for earning their trust through this battle.

A flurry of light magic appeared in front of Taneeya. The axe-wielding man in front of her fell to his knees in pain from the attack. Taneeya's eyes glanced back at the two unfamiliar faces. They were both mages. Neither one of them knew about her switching sides a few days before, so she could at least trust them to have her back. She'd have to give her thanks a bit later on though. The most important thing was staying alive through this battle.

The forces seemed to be thinning after a few minutes. The stench of blood was hanging heavily in the air, so much so that Taneeya thought she was going to gag. Even as a soldier from the Thotian army, she hadn't ever seen this much fighting. Up until recently, Thotia had been relatively peaceful. There weren't any raids into other territory until they decided to storm into Xylia. It was certainly going to take a little bit of getting used to.

The leader of the opposing Thotian forces came into view not long after. Taneeya had seen him a few times before. Back when she was beginning her training to join the army of Thotia, he had been in her faction of soldiers. He was a mage, and a scrawny one at that, who did nothing but focus on his tomes. He was a bit full of himself, which was probably putting it nicely. All he ever seemed to do was brag about how impressive he was in combat with his magic. Nobody ever really listened to him, often tuning him out minutes after meeting him. Taneeya tried so hard to forget him and his annoying voice that she had pushed his name and face out of her mind until this moment. He was making his way up to the front of his small army now, probably to make some bold claim to the rebels about how he would be their downfall, even if everybody knew that wasn't going to be the case. He was going to end up falling in battle like all the others.

"Rebels against Thotia!" His voice screeched into the bitterly cold air. "You will lay down your weapons this instant or face the wrath of Jakin!" He held up his tome with a triumphant smile. "If you choose to continue fighting, you will not die peaceful deaths! Thotia is destined to rule all of Qinia! Squashing you will just be our next step towards world conquest!" The man, who Taneeya had remembered was named Jakin since he had proclaimed his name moments before, let out a laugh. She couldn't think of much else aside from how full of himself he was. She was honestly surprised he had been promoted to general.

It seemed that he was destined to figure this out for himself. A burst of light magic appeared in front of him. Jakin was sent flying backwards. He fell into the snow, screaming all the way. Julian lunged forward, dagger outstretched. Jakin didn't even have a chance to counterattack before he was sent to meet his maker. Taneeya felt a small pang of guilt at fighting her former comrade, but she didn't show it outwardly. She didn't want anyone to think of her as a traitor for mourning this man, even if she barely knew him. The last thing she wanted was to be executed for betrayal after having already left her home nation.

The remaining soldiers all scattered not long after, fearing for their lives. Taneeya suspected that they had come into the fight confident that they would win. After all, the forces from a nation of trained warriors simply had to be stronger than a small group of ragtag fighters from Xylia, Akaria, and Phazenia, all of which were conquered and in shambles. However, they had another thing coming. She had to admit, the rebels were much stronger than she would have anticipated, especially looking at how few of them there were. The enemy had no clue what they were going up against from what she could see.

After the fighting had come to a close, Neil let out a sigh. He didn't ask anything of Taneeya, which she was inwardly glad for. Instead, he looked at the two newcomers. He, much like the other members of the group, hadn't a clue who they were. Hearing from them seemed to be higher up on his priorities list than talking to Taneeya about her fighting prowess. Taneeya had to admit that she was a little bit curious about the mages herself, so she listened closely.

"I don't think I caught your names," Neil remarked, clearly unsure of how else to strike up a conversation. Unlike some other lords Taneeya had met (namely Lord Dusk from her home), Neil seemed to be a bit clumsy with words. At the very least, he wasn't as sharp-tongued as Dahlia, who seemed to take pleasure in being sarcastic to those around her. Even so, it made Taneeya feel something of painful secondhand embarrassment, making her cringe ever so slightly.

"My name is Amice," the light mage said. She closed her tome and held it close to her chest. "I'm a priestess working with the church of the land. I came to this village to see how the townsfolk were getting on. I never expected an attack from Thotia... I would have hoped that they would leave the common folk alone after having taken the capital, but I suppose not... I'm just glad I was here to help them though. They're already struggling enough as it is. Occupation would only add to that, which they clearly don't have the resources for. I don't think I heard much about you either, but since you helped to defend this village, I'm willing to assume that you're a friend. Does that sound correct?"

"You could say that," Neil said awkwardly. He turned to the dark mage next. "And what about you? Can you tell us a little bit about yourself as well?"

The young woman jumped slightly upon being addressed before giving her reply. "My name is Lydi. As you can see, I'm a dark mage. I'd prefer to keep out of the affairs of others, so if you'd excuse me, I have other places to be. I don't want to be here when Thotia strikes again. It's inevitable at this point."

"Wait!" Amice cried. She took Lydi's hand before the dark mage could try to walk away. "If you don't mind my saying so, you did very well during today's battle. I feel as if the people of this village would like your protection if Thotia were to come back. You're clearly capable enough to do so. Why do you want to leave?"

"I'm just not interested in being caught up in a war between nobles I'm not involved with," frowned Lydi. "I don't want to die for people I don't know a thing about. I'm not going to leave this world over a greedy lord who doesn't care if I live or not. I just want to stay out of all this, you understand?"

"But with that sort of power, you could really help people," frowned Amice. As far as Taneeya could tell, Amice seemed to be one of the more noble people the rogue had met. That made sense, as she had said right from the start that she was a priestess, but in a way, it still sort of surprised her. Taneeya had lived a hard life with many ups and downs, though most events fell into the latter category. It was almost strange to her to see somebody like that, somebody that didn't seem to be tainted by all the evils that thrived in the darkest recesses of the world nowadays. In a way, it was sort of refreshing.

"I don't want to get involved with people I barely know," Lydi repeated. She tore her hand away from Amice's grip and began to walk away.

"That's not exactly the case," Neil cut in, making Lydi turn around. There was skepticism in her eyes as she stared at him, but she didn't look away, so she was certainly interested in what he was saying. "You probably didn't realize it, but you were just fighting alongside nobles a moment ago. We're out to stop Thotia so that there are no more invasions. Enough people have died because of them. Do you really want more innocent civilians to lose their lives over this? If you help us to fight back against Thotia, maybe we can end this war that much quicker. Afterwards, you can go back to your normal life a little bit sooner and safer."

Lydi paused for a moment, rethinking things. Taneeya was honestly surprised Neil had even come this far in swaying her. Lydi seemed to have rules on what she did with her time, and yet, here she was. After a minute or two of thinking, she let out a sigh. "Fine," she grumbled. "I suppose it wouldn't kill me to pitch in. Thotians aren't exactly the kindest of people. I don't want to die because of them. They all think they're entitled to this continent just because they have the strongest military. Gods, if I still had a Thotian near me, I'd show them what I think of their damn nation of warriors... Tch. All a bunch of ridiculous rabble."

Taneeya kept her lips in a tight line. As much as she hated to admit it, in a way, Lydi was sort of right. Thotian nobles in particular seemed to be a bit entitled, even if she wouldn't dare say it out loud. The one exception she had found was Prince Dusk, but now that she had left behind Thotia, she wouldn't be seeing him again as a companion. They'd most certainly be enemies when they crossed paths in the future. It was inevitable, but going up against the one person who made her feel human still made her stomach churn. She wished that the war had never happened. She would still be relatively happy back in Thotia. Even if happiness would never truly see her through due to a certain maid's interference, it was better than fighting in a war from what she could tell.

"What about you, Amice?" asked Neil, turning to the light mage next. "Would you want to join us in fighting the Thotians? You want to protect the people. Helping us could keep many villagers safe until we can bring this battle to a close. You don't seem like the type to sit by while the army kills innocent people senselessly. I hope that you'll choose to take our side and travel with us. We're heading towards the Xylian palace. We hear that the crown prince is still living within the castle walls. If we can free him, the war will be over that much sooner. I won't force you or anything, but if you'd be willing..."

"You don't have to ask me twice," Amice smiled. "I've been to countless towns since this fighting began. I've lost count of how many soldiers I've had to heal after they were left bloodied and broken by the Thotians... I don't want this to continue any longer than it needs to. This war must come to an end soon. I don't want more people to die just because of a ridiculous power struggle." Her grin had slipped and faded into something much darker. Taneeya thought that her gaze was rather dark, as if she was thinking of something else internally. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for assuming earlier on that Amice's life had been easy. From what she could tell, just looking into those piercing blue eyes of hers, Taneeya had been dead wrong about that. She was glad that she hadn't spoken up about it sooner. It would have only led to further embarrassment, which she really didn't need if she wanted to continue fighting with them.

"Welcome to the team then," Neil said with an awkward grin. He either hadn't picked up on Amice's change of tone or didn't know how to respond to it. "We should probably get going. We should lead the Thotians away from this town. If they're going to return, they're going to want to come after us instead of those innocent people, which means we should get away. We can find somewhere else to stop for the night. Until then, let's continue towards Xylia Castle."

He didn't say anything, but Taneeya could tell that he was thinking something about hoping the prince was still alive in there.

* * *

 ** _This story isn't dead. Woohoo._**

 ** _I have literally nothing to put here. I'm pretty sure next week is going to be DOD and QATH for anyone curious. We'll go to supports and then get into some nice meat of the story._**

 ** _Also, the cast of this may or may not end up raising to fifty. I need to calm down. Please stop me. I keep on making new characters. Rip._**

 ** _Until next time, I hope you all enjoyed!_**

 ** _-Digital_**


	16. Support Conversations (7)

**~ Dahlia and Ricola ~**

Ricola: Lady Dahlia? Would you perhaps be available to talk to me for a moment?

Dahlia: What is it about this time? Are you going to try and uncover all the dark secrets I have about how much my brother hates me again?

Ricola: No, it's not at all like that... I just wanted to tell you that regardless of what your brother thinks of you, I find you to be perfect as you are.

Dahlia: Wait... That's really what you're here for? You're trying to cheer me up because of what I said before?

Ricola: Of course! I could tell that you were really upset. I didn't want you to feel that way forever, so I figured that maybe you could use a few words of encouragement from me. I promise you, before you ask, since I know you will, this is not me lying as a way to make you feel better. I really do think the world of you, Lady Dahlia. I always have, and I always will.

Dahlia: R-Ricola...

Ricola: Even if other people claim that you're a bit stuck up, I know the real you. Underneath that exterior, you're really a sweet young woman who just wants the best for herself and others. I know that your brother is a tough teacher. It must be hard having to live up to those sorts of expectations. Just know that I am positive that you're amazing as you are. One day, you'll grow up to be as good as your brother. You may even surpass him. Even if he's hard on you, it's because he cares about you. While it might not seem like that now, I can promise you that's the case. If it gets harder, you can always come and talk to me about it. I'll always be here for you, Lady Dahlia. That's never going to change.

Dahlia: Thank you... Thank you, Ricola. I didn't know that was what I needed to hear until I heard it. I don't know what to say now.

Ricola: You don't have to say anything. I know exactly how you feel. I just wanted to try and cheer you up a little. Judging by the smile on your face and the red in your cheeks, it seems to have worked. I'm glad it did. I consider it a mission accomplished.

Dahlia: Yeah... It did work out pretty well, I suppose...

Ricola: I really do mean what I said. If you ever need to come and see me because you're stressed out or just need a shoulder to lean on, I'll always be here for you. It's my job as a retainer. But further than that, it's what I do for you as your friend. Well... If you consider me a friend, that is.

Dahlia: Of course I do...!

Ricola: I'm glad to hear that, Lady Dahlia. I'm happy that we're officially friends now. I hope this never changes.

Dahlia: I hope it doesn't either...

 **~ Dahlia and Ricola have attained support level A ~**

* * *

 **~ Victor and Jubilee ~**

Jubilee: Hey, Victor! Yes, you! Come over here! I need to talk to you for a moment!

Victor: Why do I get the feeling this is going to end horribly for me...? Alright, Jubilee. What is it you want from me this time? Do I need to help you fix your axe again? I keep on telling you, that thing is not to be used to-

Jubilee: No! That's not it! I was just wondering when I was going to get that soup you promised me for helping you find Poppy the other day! You still haven't given it to me since you ran off to go look for her. So I think it's time for you to pay up and give me my reward after holding out on it for so long!

Victor: Jubilee, I can't do something like that. You didn't help me find Poppy. You distracted me when I was in the middle of seriously trying to look for her. Plus, you just ran off and left me to find her on my own. Didn't you say you were kidding too? You can't just make me give it to you after that.

Jubilee: Please? Pretty please? I'll never ask you for anything ever again!

Victor: We both know that isn't true. You're going to come to me again tomorrow to help you out with some random thing or another. It's what you always do when you say you won't ask me for things anymore.

Jubilee: I will not! I can be responsible! And I think I know how to prove it to you! I'm going to spend a whole day watching over Poppy! You can go off and do whatever it is fathers do, and I'll look after her. It can't be that hard. Little kids are easy.

Victor: I don't know if this is really a good idea, Jubilee... Anything could go wrong. Either one of you could easily get hurt. I don't want that.

Jubilee: Oh, come oooooooon! Just let me do this one thing! Plus, if I do this, you'll have to give me some food as payment! And you'll accept that I'm nice and responsible since you don't seem to think I am right now!

Victor: You know what, I'll give you three hours. If you can keep Poppy under control for three hours while I go and catch up on some much needed sleep, I'll give you your food. How does that sound!

Jubilee: Perfect! I'll do great! Just you wait!

Victor: Oh, gods... I'm already scared of the results of this...

 **~ Victor and Jubilee have attained support level B ~**

* * *

 **~ Lydi and Amice ~**

Lydi: You know, I've been curious about you for a while.

Amice: Ah-! Lydi!

Lydi: Yeah. Hi. I've been wondering about you since we met in that small village. What made you come there? I've lived there my whole life and never saw you there before. Nobody ever goes there. It's a bit of a mess, if you want to put it nicely. I don't understand why anyone would come to visit.

Amice: I was on a visit with the church. I was to make sure that your little town had enough to eat and the like. Why are you so concerned about it all of a sudden? You didn't seem to want to ask me about it when I first arrived there. I'm a bit curious now about you, which is a bit ironic, don't you think?

Lydi: I guess. I just didn't ask sooner since I thought you'd be gone as quickly as you'd arrived. But now that we're traveling together as part of an army, we might as well get to know each other so conversations aren't awkward and forced. Even if I'm not exactly a people person, I understand that this is in my best interests.

Amice: Ah. I see. Well... Now that you have your answer, what are you going to do now?

Lydi: I'm going to ask you a few more questions in the future. I can tell that something about you is off. I can't quite put my finger on it though.

Amice: H-Huh? What makes you say that? I'm afraid I don't quite understand what you mean...

Lydi: Wait... I think I understand it now.

Amice: I'm afraid you lost me...

Lydi: It's that look in your eyes. You and I are the same.

Amice: I don't understand. You and I hadn't met before the battle not long ago. What makes you say that we're the same when we've scarcely spoken before now?

Lydi: You didn't grow up with your parents. I can tell.

Amice: Ah-!

Lydi: You just have a sad sort of look in your eyes. I can't describe it much better than that. Just take my word on it.

Amice: I... Um...

Lydi: You don't need to be all tense like that. I'm not here to judge you. In that way, you and I are very much the same. I won't tell anyone about it if you'd rather I not.

Amice: In that case... Would you mind keeping it quiet? I don't think I want pity stares from everybody else in the army, if that's alright with you.

Lydi: It's fine. I wasn't planning on speaking of this to anyone else anyways.

Amice: Thank you very much, Lydi.

Lydi: It was my pleasure.

 **~ Amice and Lydi have attained support level C ~**

* * *

 _ **Aha. An update. Nice.**_

 _ **I don't have much of anything to say here. Sorry for not updating last week. I had to touch up on QATH for a little while before coming over here. Oops.**_

 _ **Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed! We'll get to our next story chapter next time!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


	17. Chapter Five: Prince of Ice

By now, the group was drawing nearer than ever to the border between Phazenia and Xylia. It was close enough that they could feel it. The icy winds were growing less fierce the further they moved from the capital. Xylia was going to be reached within the span of a few days. However, even if the party was nearing Xylia, something seemed tense. The information that the capital had fallen to the Thotian intruders had spread by now. Each town that the group stopped in seemed to have an air of tension about it. It was enough to make anyone at least a little bit unsettled, but Neil wasn't letting it get them down. They had a goal to achieve, something that would have to be taken care of regardless of how the common people felt about it all.

Dahlia took a small step forward, staring down at the ground. "We're almost out of Phazenia," she frowned. "Soon enough, we're going to be in even more hostile territory than ever before. Here's to hoping nobody catches us immediately."

"According to my estimations, we're roughly three days from the border," Azin declared. "It won't be long until the Thotians realize where we are. Battles are bound to be frequent once we go in there. We'll have to be at the top of our game if we want to have even a chance of getting out alive. Reaching the palace will have to take a backseat to safety for a while once we get in there."

"We can handle it," Neil nodded, pride evident in his voice. "I'm sure of it. We'll be fine. There's nothing the Thotians can throw at us that we won't be able to overcome. We've won every battle so far. A few more won't do anything to dampen our morale as far as I can tell."

"We don't want to get overly confident. The Thotians aren't to be underestimated. They've done a lot thus far to put people in danger. We could easily end up as mere bloodstains on their blades if we let our confidence get the better of us," Azin reminded him. "We need to be on our guard."

"I can't exactly explain it, but I feel like something is going to be happening soon," Hisari muttered with a frown. "I can't put a finger on it, but I can tell that something is wrong..."

"I can feel the same thing," Syalla frowned to herself. "I wish I knew what it meant though. I think that the best we can do is be careful... Until we know what's happening, we could easily fall into a trap set for us by the Thotians. Anything could result in a disaster."

"Alright..." Neil whispered softly.

Dahlia continued walking forward, though she was now looking at Espada instead of her feet. "I sense something too... I wish I knew what was going on. This is a real annoyance."

"Wait a moment... Do you hear the sound of footsteps?" Taneeya asked suddenly. She was frowning and staring off into the distance. "I believe that the Thotians have figured out that we're trying to cross into Xylia. I had a feeling that they wouldn't be letting us go so easily since we have royals from the three kingdoms they've invaded in our party. I can't say for sure how many there are, but they're definitely getting closer... We may have to stay where we are and fight them off. We don't know what they'll do if they pursue us. The Thotians are persistent. I know that much for sure."

"How do we know that you didn't tell them where we were?" snapped Dahlia. "For all we know, you could be a spy leaking information back to your home nation! We don't know for sure if somebody like you can be trusted!"

"I assure you that I had nothing to do with this," Taneeya insisted. "I didn't know that they were coming. I understand why you're doubtful of where my loyalties lie. I understand completely why you would believe that I was against you. I wouldn't betray you this way. I already owe you all a debt since you didn't kill me in the battle where we first met. I wouldn't want to turn my back on you and go back to a place where I would not be wanted."

"We have to trust what she's saying for now. We don't have any evidence that she turned us into Thotia," Azin cut in. "While I do agree that we should be suspicious, we can't go around hurling accusations without any solid proof. For the time being, we have no choice but to believe her. Besides, she may have a point about us needing to stand our ground and fight. I believe that she's correct about a group of fighters coming towards us. I can sense them now too... We can hope that they're friends, but I highly doubt they are given the tattered states of Xylia, Phazenia, and Akaria."

"Everybody, be ready to fight. We can't risk getting hurt here. Xylia is within reach. It wouldn't do for any of us to die here," Neil declared. He pulled out his rapier and gripped it tightly, more prepared than ever to battle. His heart was already pounding in his chest from the adrenaline.

"I see a wyvern," Syalla frowned. She pointed up to the sky. The shadow of a dragon could be seen circling overhead. From the party's place on the ground, none could say if they were friend or foe. The sun was blocking out any signs of where their allegiances lied due to the backlight. Syalla mounted her own wyvern before bursting up into the sky, ready to battle the rider if they were an enemy.

Syalla wasn't even given the chance to return with news before an ominous shadow appeared on the horizon. Roughly twenty Thotian soldiers were marching closer in perfect sync. There were two figures at the front of the platoon. It was difficult to see them from the long distance, but it was easy to determine that the ensuing battle was not going to end well. Neil took a small step closer to the oncoming fighters, a frown clear on his features. Whoever these people were, they weren't on his side, which meant they'd likely have to fight. He doubted these people were here as reinforcements, especially since they were flying the Thotian flag.

It didn't take long before the figures at the helm of this invasion were clearly in view. One was a young man and the other was a young woman. The woman had turquoise hair as straight as sticks that reached her waist. Her eyes were blue and piercing. A white headpiece sat atop her tresses. She was wearing a black maid outfit with a few white accents here and there. A dagger could be seen in her right hand. A smile was on her lips, but it didn't seem at all friendly or welcoming. Instead, it seemed to say that she was trouble, that she was a woman meant to be feared by many a soldier near or far. Upon closer inspection, Neil could see that she was holding tightly to the hand of the man beside her.

Speaking of the man, Neil noticed that it was difficult to see his face due to the mask he wore. It was silver and glinted gently in the sunlight of Phazenia. His brown hair was tamed and cropped close to his face, but it was hard to see due to a hood being over his head. The hood belonged to a purple robe. Beneath the robe, silvery armor could be seen. He had a navy and indigo dress shirt on with matching dress pants. His shoes were navy boots. A crown the color of obsidian sat on top of his head. An emerald was set up at the center of it.

A gasp left the lips of Taneeya. "Lord Dusk!" she whispered, hands flying to cover her mouth.

"Dusk?" Ricola echoed. "That name sounds a bit familiar. Where would I have heard it before now?"

"Dusk is the crown prince of Thotia," Taneeya explained."I didn't expect to see him here... He should be back in Thotia. The king and queen scarcely let him leave the palace. I don't even want to imagine what would make them think allowing him to travel here was a good idea."

"It sounds like we're already out matched," Dahlia muttered angrily, her grip on Espada tightening.

As soon as the words had left her lips, the sound of wind rushing filled the air. Syalla landed on the ground, a young man at her side. "He's agreed to help us," she said simply. "I can explain the rest later."

The young man was sitting on top of the wyvern that they had spotted before. He was stroking its neck mindlessly, but it was clear by the sharp look in his eyes that he was still listening intently to what was happening around him. An axe could be seen attached to the saddle on his wyvern. It looked similar to Syalla's in a way. Dahlia instantly recognized it as being Phazenian as far as origins were concerned. His armor looked somewhat familiar as well, she realized upon closer inspection.

He had brown hair that was curled. The tips of it faded out to blonde. His eyes were a deep azure blue that instantly pierced whoever he looked at. He had red and purple robes on. The fabric was definitely Phazenian, just as Dahlia had anticipated at a first glance. It would make sense, given that they were still in the kingdom of snow. He had white tights and brown boots on. His gloves were black and completely covered his hands. He looked up at the party, gasping gently when he locked eyes with Ricola. The pegasus knight responded with an incredibly hostile gaze as she reached for her lance.

"My name is Caspian," the man said once he had managed to tear his eyes away from Ricola. "I'm a wyvern rider, as I'm sure you can tell. If you don't mind, and I'm sure you don't, I'll be joining you in this battle. You seem like you could use it. That's a big group that you're up against. Plus, I have a little bit of inside information on them, in case you're in need of something like that. Of course, I expect safety for both me and my precious baby Shioke here." He stroked his wyvern, making the draconic creature let out a whinny of happiness. It was almost strange to see something so large and threatening come off as so kind and gentle. Then again, it wasn't too shocking that a wyvern would be so excited around its rider. Even the most fearsome of beasts had the occasional soft spot.

"I don't see much choice," Neil huffed. "Just stay away from the archers. They could easily spell doom for you and your 'precious baby Shioke'. After this, you can go on and tell us about this inside information you claim to have. This is just because we're desperate though. If we sense that you're going to turn on us, we won't be holding back. I hope that you understand that much, Caspian." He turned and headed towards the oncoming force of Thotian soldiers, unable to spare more time to chat with the wyvern rider. Luckily, Caspian didn't seem ready to stick around anyways. He burst into the air, drawing his axe as he did so.

Before the battle could get started, a blade was risen at the front of the enemy army. Neil could see that the blade was in the hand of the young man, who Taneeya had identified as Prince Dusk of Thotia. In a way, it reminded him of Espada. He couldn't quite explain why they seemed so similar to him, but he figured that it wasn't important in the moment. There was a battle that needed to be fought for the time being.

"Rebels of Phazenia!" he cried out, dropping his blade down to his side. He handed it to the girl with teal hair at his side, who promptly put the blade away. Not long after, she reappeared with a Flux tome in her hands. He took it and held it at his side. "I have heard that the royals of the other nations are among you! If you wish to keep your lives for the time being, you will surrender to the Thotian army! There is no hope of success! Xylia, Phazenia, and Akaria have already been crushed! There is nothing you can do to restore them!"

"For the time being," Dahlia echoed with a roll of her eyes. "He isn't even trying to hide the fact that he's going to have us killed should we surrender. I doubt it's in Thotia's nature to let their enemies go. The nation is intense as far as I know, and that might even be putting it lightly."

Dusk seemed to wait for a moment before shaking his head. "So be it. If you really don't want to give in to your inevitable fate, I'll just have to bring you to your demises sooner than ever," he said quietly. "That being said, let the battle begin! Your lives will have been claimed by the time the day is done!"

The Thotians all scattered into position. Neil, Dahlia, and their company were surrounded within the span of two minutes. "Looks like we'll have to do our best to make sure we don't get absolutely destroyed," Dahlia muttered bitterly. "And here I was hoping that we'd be able to get out of Phazenia without having to engage in battle again. I'm seriously getting sick of all this."

"You know, I think that we can take them," Ricola muttered. "Even if there are a lot of them, if we're slow and steady in taking them down, then we can defeat them. I doubt that they'd be able to call for reinforcements out here. We're in the middle of a field, for crying out loud. There aren't any towns for days. We can take care of this. I'm sure of it."

"We can't exactly lose anyways. I don't exactly want to see the afterlife today," Syalla murmured. She looked to Neil for a moment before rushing forwards, axe in one hand. She defeated a lancer within a matter of seconds before rising back into the air, likely to keep an eye on Caspian to be sure he hadn't betrayed them or anything.

"Try not to hurt Lord Dusk," Taneeya couldn't help but say. "This is one of his first times leaving the kingdom. He doesn't know what's going on. I doubt that he'll be able to cause much harm anyways."

"We're going to need to defeat him one day. If we take care of things now, then we'll be able to bring the war to an end that much faster," Hisari pointed out. "Besides, regardless of if he's aware or not, he's Thotian royalty. Bringing down the prince will certainly lower the morale of the opposing nation. Don't tell me that this is an indication that you're going to betray us, because we all know well what will happen if we learn that you're a traitor..." She flashed her spear in the cold sunshine, making sure that Taneeya knew what she meant. Luckily, the thief seemed to catch on immediately. She closed her eyes before turning around and lunging for a nearby axe fighter. Within seconds, the battle was done. Somehow, she seemed even more powerful than she had been while an enemy.

"Stay on the defensive!" Ricola cried. "I can see archers coming our way!"

Sure enough, off in the distance, around five archers could be seen marching forwards. They had originally been at the back so they wouldn't have to worry about someone taking advantage of their short range, but now that the fliers were in sight, they were ready to take down the two pegasus riders and the pair on top of wyverns.

Luckily, Neil was ready to take care of it. After taking down a sword user in front of him, he lunged through the empty space he had made to go for the soldier. The archer's bow was cleaved in two in one simple swing. They were certainly regretting using the relatively cheap material of bronze to make the bows. They were no match for Neil's rapier. Dahlia soon joined him in slicing bows in half a few seconds later.

Dusk, who was standing on the other end of the field, began to frown. "I thought that they were just pathetic little rebels who didn't know what they were getting into," he grumbled. "Plus... Wait, is that Taneeya?"

He pointed out the assassin from afar. The woman at his side let out a gasp, gripping her dagger slightly tighter. "She... She's turned against us?" she asked softly. "This can't be. She was always so loyal. I would even go so far as to consider her one of my closest friends. No offense to Minette, of course, but..."

"I understand what you mean, Soreiyu," Dusk muttered. "But don't worry. We'll be able to take her back regardless of whoever put those thoughts in her head. She'll remember soon enough who she really belongs with. I won't have my loyal retainer turning on me during times of war and turmoil like these."

"I won't either," the woman, who was now known to be named Soreiyu, whispered. "When they grow nearer, we'll need to take the fight to them. We can't let them have the upper hand."

"You're right. They'll eat us alive if we give them even the smallest chance to strike back," Dusk told her. "They're a lot better than I realized. It doesn't seem normal. They're just the stragglers that we didn't finish off in the initial invasions. How in the world are they this strong? It seems unreal. I wish I knew why this had to be happening. Why couldn't they just be easy bugs to crush beneath my heel?"

"They'll fall before your power soon enough, my lord," Soreiyu assured him. "And after we're done here, we can go back home and celebrate our victory." She placed a small kiss on his cheek, making him turn a bright shade of crimson. "I'm positive that we'll win out in the end. That's what we do in Thotia. We win and we conquer and we succeed for all eternity. You know that. You've been hearing that ever since you were little, were you not?"

"I was," Dusk confirmed. "I just wish that this could be a little bit easier... It's so irritating..."

Off in the distance, they could see the last of the main fighting force fall. The only people that were left were archers and mages who preferred to assault from the back of the party, near where Soreiyu and Dusk were standing. It was enough to make Dusk frown. "Something is wrong," he grumbled angrily. "Inconsequential worms like them should not be doing this much to our army. This cannot be happening."

"I'm afraid that it is," Soreiyu frowned. "But it matters not. They will be defeated soon enough. It is only a matter of time. I'm sure that you know that. For now, all we need to do is make an attempt. If we fail, all will still be well. Soon enough, we'll get our revenge and show them that the only nation on this continent worth saving is ours."

"I'm glad you see things the way I do," Dusk smiled. Even if the stress of the battle was starting to get him down, he knew he could always turn to Soreiyu if he needed to be cheered up. She was a perfect remedy to any sort of anger that was plaguing him.

Soreiyu suddenly let out a gasp and ducked down. Above her, icy magic swirled threateningly. She frowned and reached up, slicing her dagger through the cloud. "Who goes there?" she asked of the air. "Show yourself, whoever you are!"

However, the figure refused to make themselves known. Instead, they released yet another cloud of icy magic. This time, it hit Dusk square in the chest. He stumbled backwards and fell into the snow. A stray blade, which had been dropped following the defeat of a Thotian soldier, made its way into his calf. He let out a shout of pain.

Soreiyu reached out and took his hand. "We have to retreat and get that wound looked at," she murmured. "I really should have begun my staff training before we set out."

"It's fine," Dusk hissed, though it was clear that the pain was already beginning to get to him. "Let's go. Retreat! Everyone!"

Soreiyu allowed Dusk to lean up against him as the rest of their soldiers came back to them. Dusk wasn't sure who the wielder of that icy magic had been, but he knew that he wasn't at all happy about it. Whoever they were, they would pay. He would make sure of that. Before this war was done, he'd have their blood on his sacred blade.

On the other end of the battlefield, Neil began to frown. He hadn't expected to see the enemy soldiers retreat so suddenly like that. As far as he had known, they were all ready to fight and die for the crown prince in this fight, and all of a sudden, they were leaving. He frowned and glanced around. The last of the Thotians were scurrying back to their prince. The only Thotians being left behind were covered in blood and were dying or dead. It made the snow seem eerie now that it was stained bright red.

"What was that about?" Dahlia asked, lowering Espada. Her shoulders were still tense to show that she was still on high alert. "Why would they run away like that so suddenly? It seems weird to me."

"I was wondering the same thing," Azin frowned. "There had to be some sort of reason, but I want to know... If that reason was a risk to them, could it become a risk to us if we stick around here for much longer?"

"I hope not," Ricola cut in, landing on the ground beside him. "But I guess we should look around to see what happened. It might be important to know. For all we know, a dangerous creature of the woods spooked them. I can't say for sure. I know that Phazenian wild lands can be a bit risky to traverse. They're filled with wild animals that can frighten anyone who doesn't know what's going on..."

"I'm no wild creature, Ricola. I would have expected you to recognize me."

Out of the forest came a figure atop a horse. A man was on top of a mount that wore Phazenian armor. He had short blonde hair that was cropped close to his face. His eyes were green and bright in color, though they still showed threatening thoughts. They softened ever so slightly when they fell upon Dahlia. He was wearing black armor that was Phazenian in origin. It was a stark contrast to the snowy woods he had just exited.

Dahlia's hands flew to her mouth. She ran to the man and threw her arms around his neck. "Cedric!" she cried out. Her voice showed that she was near to tears, even if her eyes showed no such thing. "I can't believe you're alive!"

"I'm glad to see you're alright as well," the man said with a stern expression. If Dahlia's words were to be believed, his name was Cedric, though Neil didn't know for sure who he was or why he was relevant...

"Lord Cedric!" Ricola cried out, rushing towards him. "I'm so happy to see that you're alright! We were worried after we were forced to part ways due to the palace invasion..." She looked down at his hands, noticing that there was a tome resting gently between his fingers. "I can assume that you were responsible for warding off the Thotians. I could see ice magic assaulting their two leaders from my place in the air. Correct me, if I'm wrong, but... That's a Blizzard tome, right?"

Cedric nodded. "Yes. I realized that the mage at the back was their commander, so I figured taking him out would be a wise idea," he said. Cedric looked over the party, smiling slightly when his eyes locked on Jubilee and Victor. "I'm glad to see that you're alright. I was concerned that some horrible fate had befallen you after the Thotians separated us. I see that you've been putting in work alongside my sister, so I'm happy about that. I'm glad you aren't slacking off or anything."

"Would we really do that?" Victor asked. He shot a small glance at Jubilee, who was twirling her hair while staring absentmindedly at Cedric. After staring at her for a moment or two, he let out a sigh. "Okay, I see what you mean now. Jubilee would definitely slack off if she was given the chance. I'm sure that we all know the way she is..."

Upon hearing Victor's words, Jubilee gasped and dashed up to him. She would have slapped him for insulting her, but a harsh glance from Cedric stopped her. Instead, she shriveled backwards and crossed her arms, staring at her feet in embarrassment. "Sorry," she grumbled. "But I'm glad you're safe, even if you're as strict as ever."

"What's happened with you since we were ripped apart at the palace?" Dahlia asked. She was clearly ready to run into Cedric's arms, but she didn't do anything to act on it.

"Who even is he?" Neil murmured to Azin. "You know a lot more about the other royal families than I do. Judging by the fact that Ricola referred to him as a lord, he has to be royalty, right?"

"He's the older royal of Phazenian children," explained Azin quietly. "However, he's a bit different compared to other members of the royal family. For one, I've heard that he lacks the genetic ice magic of the rest of the family, but I can't confirm that for sure since it's been quite some time since I looked extensively into Phazenia. Also, despite the fact that he's the older of the two siblings, he's not going to be the one to inherit the throne. Instead, Lady Dahlia is the one who will become queen one day in the future. None can quite describe why she was chosen to lead the country over him. He's also a formidable sage, casting spells atop his mount. He's especially skilled in ice magic, even if he doesn't have the same type as the other members of his family. He was using one of his ice tomes in the battle a few moments ago."

"I see," Neil said quietly. "They do seem to be rather close, though I get the feeling that there's a bit of tension between them. I can't quite describe it perfectly, but it seems like something between them is wrong. It's like they secretly hate each other or something. I can't be the only one sensing it, right?"

Azin didn't get the chance to say anything, but Neil didn't need an answer anyways. "Do you want to join us?" Dahlia asked of Cedric, looking up at him with pleading eyes. "We're going to the palace of Xylia. Apparently, the crown prince there is alive and waiting for reinforcements. Plus, if we can take back Xylia, maybe we can get enough help to reach out and fight against Thotia more. We may even be able to take back Phazenia! Speaking of... Do you know anything about what happened to Mother and Father? I haven't heard anything about them ever since we left behind the palace. Are they safe? Are they alive?"

"I don't know for sure," admitted Cedric. "But I'm sure that we'll be able to find them soon. I'll gladly fight alongside you though. I don't stand a chance against the rest of Thotia alone. It's like asking to die, fighting them alone. Plus, I don't want to leave you just after we reunited. I've been incredibly concerned about you, Victor, and Jubilee since the day of the invasion. I'm glad to see you safe."

"Then let's go. We won't reach Xylia just standing around here and talking," Dahlia smiled. "I'm glad to have you back. I feel much more confident that we can handle this now that you're here, Cedric. I'm positive that we can take back our kingdom now!"

Neil could still feel the quiet tension between Dahlia and Cedric, but he didn't say anything about it. He could always ask them about it later on if it continued to bother him. He could only hope that things wouldn't end horribly because of the unspoken rigidity.

* * *

 _ **Another update. Woo.**_

 _ **I should have updated this sooner, but it's all okay. We're here now, so no need to worry.**_

 _ **I apologize that this is late though. Like last week, I was busy on Thursday.**_

 _ **I may or may not be updating QATH today. We'll have to see. I have a forensics tournament tonight. It's no big deal though. I don't have as much to type this week since I'll be doing supports here and a QATH update, so I can catch up if I need it.**_

 _ **Also, I started doing a scripted rewrite for Fire Emblem Fates! If you like FE14, I suggest that you go and check out the prologue's script! I'll be updating it more soon!**_

 _ **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **\- Digital**_


	18. Support Conversations (8)

**~ Victor and Jubilee ~**

Jubilee: *pant* That... *pant* Was a lot more exhausting than... *pant* I thought it would be... *pant*

Victor: Jubilee, are you okay? You look really tired. Did something happen? Is Thotia trying to attack us again? Are brigands coming for us?

Jubilee: No... It's worse... Your daughter is completely and utterly exhausting!

Victor: You mean Poppy? I didn't think that she was too tiring or anything like that. She's a good girl with good intentions. Could she really have caused this much damage?

Jubilee: It was all about that stupid bet! I shouldn't have ever thought it would be a good idea to look after her! She's crazy!

Victor: Oh, yes... Our bet. I completely forgot about that. Didn't you say you were going to do great?

Jubilee: Well, yes, I did, but she's totally nuts! She doesn't know when to just sit down and be calm! Isn't that how you're supposed to take care of kids? You get them to relax while you go off and do other things? Or is that babies...? Same difference! The point is that she's wild and I can't take care of her anymore!

Victor: What is she doing right now? I don't see her anywhere. Don't tell me that she's messing around with the tomes again... She got on Lord Cedric's nerves the last time that happened...

Jubilee: No, I got her down for a nap. She was tired after all that running around, but so am I! I'll never be able to fight back against any attackers if I'm that tired after putting up with her! I just hope that nothing bad happens later today! I'll be toast right away! What use will I be to Lord Cedric if I'm too exhausted to fight?!

Victor: I think you're giving yourself too much trouble. You did fine. I mean, she didn't kill anyone else or herself. Plus, you got her down for a nap. That's a miracle and a half, let me tell you. I know for sure that Poppy can be a bit high maintenance at times.

Jubilee: You... You really think I did okay?

Victor: Yeah, I do. So, as promised, I'll give you a little bit of food like I said I would. Just don't expect me to hold back in the future. Now that I know you can manage her for a little while, I might have to make you watch her more often. I can get the sleep I miss out on at night if I have you look after her every once in a while!

Jubilee: You can't do this to me! I did what you wanted me to! Are you trying to torture me or something?!

Victor: Jubilee! Come back! *sigh* With how hyperactive she can be at times, it's a miracle we don't have to babysit her too... At least I get to keep my food since she ran away in horrified fear...

 **~ Jubilee and Victor have attained support level A ~**

* * *

 **~ Lydi and Amice ~**

Lydi: Hello, Amice. Don't think I don't see you there in the doorway.

Amice: I'm sorry for interrupting you. I didn't mean to. I didn't think you had noticed I was there.

Lydi: I might look like I'm not paying attention while I'm reading, but I know exactly what's going on around me. It's how I keep my head when things go sour. I can't have myself getting stabbed in the back since I let my guard down.

Amice: That is certainly to be admired...

Lydi: Anyways, what are you doing here? You seem tense.

Amice: I can't stop thinking about how you figured me out so easily last time...

Lydi: Ah. That. It was an easy assumption to make, really. The few times we crossed paths before properly speaking helped me reach that conclusion as well.

Amice: I see...

Lydi: Why? Do you want to share about it or something?

Amice: Not really... I'm just still at a loss for words that you were able to figure it out so easily.

Lydi: I've always had strong senses. Reading people has also been a natural talent for me as long as I can remember. Nobody can really escape my analysis. It doesn't matter who they are. I likely have them at least partially figured out the second that we first meet. You are no exception, Amice.

Amice: I understand...

Lydi: I get the feeling that you don't want to talk much about what you've seen in the past right now. It's easy to see. However, even if you'd rather keep things to yourself for the time being, I'll always be here for you should you wish to talk about it.

Amice: Thank you... I don't know if I'll ever take advantage of that offer, but I appreciate it regardless. It means a lot to me that you'd be willing to even extend such an offer.

Lydi: Call it my way of being generous with my friends... Well, if you can even call us that. We didn't meet until recently. Maybe I'm jumping to conclusions a little bit.

Amice: No, it's alright. I don't mind you calling me your friend. In fact, I think it's rather kind of you to do. I'm glad to be your friend, Lydi.

Lydi: I'm glad to hear it.

Amice: Now, I'm going to get going for the time being. I wish to train a little bit before going to sleep for the night. I'll see you a bit later, Lydi.

Lydi: Goodnight... Even if she said she wasn't going to be taking me up on my offer, I know she will. It's just a matter of time at this point.

 **~ Lydi and Amice have attained support level B ~**

* * *

 **~ Dahlia and Cedric ~**

Dahlia: Hello, Cedric. I didn't expect to see you so far from the camp. I could have sworn I heard somebody training out here, but I wasn't sure until I came to investigate... Then again, I suppose you always have been something of a loner... Ever since we were kids, you've always seemed to prefer your own company over that of others...

Cedric: Oh, Dahlia. Hello there. How have you been doing? You look rather tired.

Dahlia: Fine, I suppose... I'm going to be going to sleep soon. I just wanted to check up on you before I turned in for the night.

Cedric: That's kind of you to do. I'm doing just fine, thank you. You can go to sleep now.

Dahlia: I... Alright. I'll see you tomorrow... But... First, I have a question, Cedric. Would you mind answering me? Well, you don't really have to, but it might help me feel a little bit better about all that's going on right now...

Cedric: Of course. I wouldn't ever mind answering something for you, Sister. What's on your mind? The way you're speaking, it seems rather serious.

Dahlia: Do you hate me, Cedric?

Cedric: What? Dahlia, where would you get an idea such as that one? Why would you think that I hated you?

Dahlia: You're so much stronger than I'll ever be... I always thought that you held that over my head. You always got so grouchy with me when you were training me to use Espada. Plus, you only ever taught me using tough love, but that might be a bit generous... I want to know if you hate me. You don't need to lie to me. If you're honest, we can get down to it sooner rather than later. I'd rather deal with it now than be forced to suffer with this for a long time.

Cedric: Dahlia, how could I ever hate you? You're my younger sister. I can't just hate my little sister.

Dahlia: You can't, huh? Gods, you could have fooled me. I've been thinking about this for ages now... I suppose I should have asked this before the invasion happened. These days, we don't have enough time to deal with low confidence in one another. We're in the middle of a war. This could very easily turn out awfully if I let my doubts get the better of me... You know what? Forget I ever bothered to ask. It doesn't matter anyways. I'll go on and talk to you later, Cedric. We can deal with this another time.

Cedric: Dahlia, wait! I... I don't... She's gone. I'll just have to talk to her more about this another time, though I wish I could do more to help her right now...

 **~ Dahlia and Cedric have attained support level C ~**

* * *

 **~ Ricola and Caspian ~**

Ricola: I knew I recognized you the first time that I saw you. Do you remember me?

Caspian: H-Huh? What are you on about? I don't have a clue who you are. Isn't your name Ricky or something? Or is it Coca...? I don't remember. I'm not the best at remembering names when I've just met a person. I'm sure that you understand that, whatever your name is.

Ricola: Look a little bit closer. We first met years ago. I guess that heartless men like you must not bother to recall who your victims are. It wouldn't surprise me. All criminals like you are the same.

Caspian: What? I don't know what you're getting at. Can you speak plainly with me for a moment?

Ricola: It was years ago. You and a few other men snuck into my noble house near the border of Phazenia. Is it starting to ring a bell? After all, there was blood left on your hands by the time you were finished up there.

Caspian: Y-You know... That does sound a little bit familiar now... Ah! I think I remember now! Didn't your father end up dying...?

Ricola: It's about time you figured it out. I was afraid I was going to have to spell it out for you.

Caspian: It was about six years ago, I believe... I entered your home with a few others, and your father was murdered by a few of my coworkers. I didn't exactly want that to happen. I didn't have much of a choice in the matter. I swear, I am not to blame for this-

Ricola: Shut up! You can't say things like that when you were responsible for his death! If you and your 'coworkers' hadn't snuck into my home, he would still be here! My house has nearly fallen apart because of the things that you have done! Don't even try to behave like you weren't responsible for what transpired that day!

Caspian: I swear to you, I can explain this! On my honor and pride, at least what remains of it, I can explain what happened that day. If you'd just be willing to give me a chance, I'll tell you everything that I know. It's important these days too. The people who did it... They're a lot more dangerous than you realize. They didn't just commit that single crime. I don't want you getting into trouble because of it. Give me a minute to talk. I'll tell you all that I can-

Ricola: No! I can't believe I thought that this would go well! You're just trying to keep your guilt at bay by blaming others! You are just as responsible as the others!

Caspian: H-Hey-! ...And she's gone...

 **~ Ricola and Caspian have attained support level C ~**

* * *

 _ **I got out an update. Sweet.**_

 _ **The pro to doing support chapters is that I don't need to type as much as regular chapters. That means I have more time to sleep. I like sleep.**_

 _ **I don't really have much to say here. The plot is going to thicken soon, especially regarding Caspian and Ricola. That's certainly going to be interesting.**_

 _ **Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


	19. Chapter Six: Battle at the Border

"You know," came the voice of Dahlia as the group grew nearer to the border of Phazenia, "I think Caspian said that he had important information about the enemy, but he never told us about it. We have some time to kill before we get to the Xylian palace. He might as well open up about what he knows, right?"

The Phazenian border was roughly a day's walk away. Xylia was growing nearer, which was both exciting and frightening. Xylia was no doubt going to be overrun with soldiers of Thotia. An ambush could take place at any moment. The constant threat could leave them constantly worried, which could easily be their downfall when an assault finally did take place. None could say how things would go with certainty.

"Oh yeah," Caspian remarked. He was walking alongside his wyvern, otherwise known as his 'precious Shioke'. "I don't know if you're going to like this."

"We probably won't, but that doesn't change the fact that we'll need to hear about it at some point. Go on and make it easier on all of us," Hisari told him as she led her pegasus through the snowy grass. The ice was growing thinner now as they neared the border. Xylia's weather, while not always particularly ideal, was still consistently warmer than Phazenia, so most snow near the edge of the two nations melted nearly instantly. A small storm must have blown through recently to leave the ground covered in white fluff, even if it was nearly gone now.

"Alright. The Thotians aren't the only problem that we'll need to deal with. They've got an ally, a dangerous one too," Caspian began to say. "We're talking about a rebel group from Phazenia. They're trying to overthrow the Phazenian crown. Their name is the Leijona."

"What? Why do they want to overthrow the Phazenian royal family?" Dahlia asked, having gone pale as a sheet in an instant. "I don't understand. What did we ever do to hurt the common people? I always heard that the royal family of Phazenia was fair and just to all people."

Caspian let out a laugh, nearly tumbling alongside Shioke in his excitement. Shioke let out a yelp of surprise before noticing her master's excitement. The wyvern seemed to be laughing in the following moments. Dahlia glared at Caspian and rolled her eyes as he regained his composure. After he had recovered, he looked up at her with a grin and tears in his eyes. When he realized that she was serious, his face fell. "You can't actually mean that," he said in disbelief.

"That's what I've always been taught by my father," Dahlia told him stubbornly, crossing her arms. "Are you telling me that he was lying to me all those years? He wouldn't do that."

"I wouldn't be so sure. Your father has got to be the biggest liar on the entire continent. I doubt Qinia's people would object to that, even if they had never been close to Phazenia," Caspian insisted.

"Phazenia isn't nearly as bad as you're saying. The royal family has always had incredibly strong rulers. I don't know who told you that we're this evil group, but we aren't," Dahlia said, glaring his direction. "Why would Leijona or whatever they're called want to overthrow us all?"

"Probably because the king doesn't give a fig what happens to the common people! Probably because he'd rather see us all rot than give us basic human rights! Probably because he refuses to give us food when we all starve to death! Probably because he watches us all battle when a caravan carrying medicine comes to town without doing anything! Probably because he doesn't care about us and never will! Take your pick!" Caspian shouted, breaking his happy and optimistic persona for a moment. When he realized everybody had stopped walking to stare at him in silence, he shook his head and let out a sigh. "Sorry. The point I'm getting at is that your father is not as nice as you've been told. He's downright evil to the common people."

Dahlia stared down at the ground before looking up at Cedric, who was silently staring at the snowy grass. Dahlia shook her head and sighed. "Whatever. We can talk about this later. Tell us more about Leijona. What do they have to do with this war? Did they really ally with Thotia in trying to destroy their own country?" she asked Caspian. "No self-respecting Phazenian would really want to go against the country like that, right?"

"You can probably guess for yourself after all the reasons I've listed off. If they thought it would help them escape the hellish life set before them, they definitely would. The Phazenian king hasn't done anything to keep us from rotting and dying horrible deaths. A government as corrupt as that one doesn't have many fans, so it was only a matter of time before people would try to go against it. It just so happened that they decided to go against the country by siding with their enemy during wartime," Caspian explained. "Anyways, the Leijona got sick of the corrupt behavior of nobles in Phazenia and wanted to overthrow them, starting with the royal family. The war against Thotia was their perfect chance to do so. How do you think the invasion on the palace happened without issue? The Leijona were already inside the castle town, waiting for the signal to rush the castle and take over."

"I had been wondering about how the invasion could have been so swift. The capital isn't exactly near the border, so something like that must have happened in order for the invaders to get away with it so easily," Azin murmured.

"How do you know so much about them?" Neil couldn't help but ask. "From what I can tell, none of our other Phazenian companions had a clue they even existed. It seems odd that you'd have any idea what was going on with them when nobody else knows a thing."

"That's because I was once a part of them," Caspian admitted after a brief pause. He shot a cautionary glance at Dahlia, clearly fearing what she'd do now that she knew the truth about him. "But that doesn't matter now. I turned against that life. I'm with all of you now. Besides, the Leijona, while efficient, aren't the best group in the world. There's always the chance that they could easily betray each other without a second thought. I wouldn't exactly say that they all get along like friends or anything. That would be pushing it to the extreme."

"It sounds like this group is incredibly dangerous. How can we fight back against them?" Cedric asked. "You must know something about their weaknesses."

"Not exactly. Even if I was part of the group for years, I never heard any of the big plans for Phazenia. Those were kept under tight lock and key. As for weaknesses, as far as I know, they don't have any," Caspian replied. "As dismal as it is, that's the only truth I've ever known. We'd have some serious digging to do if we wanted to hear an actual issue they have, but not much information on them exists. The common people had no idea they were even a thing."

"If they were the ones invading the palace though, why were they wearing the armor of Thotia?" Dahlia questioned. "I just remembered that there was nobody wearing Phazenian armor during the attack, which makes no sense if you're telling the truth."

"I bet it was to try and hide the existence of the group. They're fond of complicated plans, so it doesn't surprise me that they'd try to keep hidden for as long as possible," Caspian explained. "Everybody already knew about the war, so they'd be less surprised to see invaders in Thotian armor than to see attackers of Phazenia. It's a good way to hide their existence from the world."

"But why did you leave them? We were fighting against the Thotians, your allies, and you still turned against them to side with us. We were clearly outnumbered, but you still did it," Syalla remarked with a solemn expression.

"I had a talk with one of their captives. Long story short, I decided that my time with Leijona was over. As a matter of fact, you'll be able to meet her soon. I told her to get to the border as soon as possible so we could get her somewhere safe, far away from the reaches of the war," Caspian replied. "It won't be long before we see her, so maybe we should get going."

"We're roughly a day's walk away. Will that be alright?" Azin questioned.

"It should be. I doubt that she beat us there, given that she's a bit older and probably less used to traveling through the snow," Caspian answered. "But we should still hurry it up to be on the safe side. I don't want to put her at risk."

"Can you give us any other details about her? If you're traveling with us, then you have to be ready for us to figure it out sooner or later. You might as well just go on and tell us," Dahlia said, clearly desperate to here who it was. She seemed to be on the verge of begging to some of the people present.

"You'll find out sooner or later. I get the feeling that you in particular will be rather happy about who it is, but I won't spill the details too soon. Besides, it looks like we've got company," Caspian told her, reaching for his axe as he mounted Shioke.

Sure enough, Caspian was right. A large Thotian force had gathered nearby, guarding the border from any intruders. Weapons were drawn in preparation of the fight to come.

Syalla, Hisari, Ricola, and Caspian all burst into the sky after their spears and axes were prepared. They could see that the Thotians were all surrounding a woman who stood at the center of their ranks. Though nobody made an outward guess as to who this was, it was easy to assume that this was the one Caspian was waiting for. The fliers all swooped down, ready to take out the first fighters guarding the outer edges of the troop to officially begin the battle.

The first person to fall was an archer with a bow aimed skywards. Syalla had disposed of him in a matter of thirty seconds. A speedy myrmidon crumpled to the ground next following a swift blow from Hisari's spear. She pulled it free of his crumpling body and shook some of the blood from its tip. "Who's next?" she asked under her breath before lunging back into the fray of the fight.

Icy magic spiraled through the air, tearing yet another archer to shreds. His armor was frozen in seconds. Azin lowered his hands before turning to another foe, an axe fighter, who met the same fate a few seconds later. His tome was growing short on uses, but he could deal with that later.

Near instantly, the fight had slipped into complete chaos. Bodies and blood littered the pristine white snow. Caspian darted to the middle of the chaos to pick up his companion, who hopped wordlessly onto Shioke's back. She was wearing a hood and cape to conceal her features. Caspian let her arms curl around his waist as he flew her as far from the dispute as possible. As important as helping his new friends was, he got the feeling they'd understand why he'd been forced to retreat when they learned who his associate really was under the hood.

Neil shrugged aside a blow from an axe and hit the hand that held it with his rapier. The axe slid through the snow before stopping in a patch of pure whiteness. He continued to storm through his foes for a few more seconds before he found himself toe to toe with their leader.

It was a tall man with a spear, a javelin, to be more specific, clutched in one hand. He looked Neil up and down before scoffing. "You're just a child. Am I really supposed to believe that you're the one leading this rebels? You can't be the prince of Akaria. No soldiers of Thotia would really be defeated by someone as young and helpless as you," the man told him.

"I am that man," Neil told him, raising his rapier higher. "And if you intend to keep us from entering Xylia, you will be seeing just how strong this 'child' really is."

The man, who seemed to be the general of this troop, held up his javelin before throwing it. The edge struck Neil in the arm, leaving a deep cut just below his soldier. The javelin landed in the snow, but Neil couldn't be bothered to pick it up, too focused on his injured arm.

Luckily for him, Taneeya was standing nearby, close enough to see what was happening. She darted over as the general pulled out a steel lance and prepared to swing. Taneeya raised her sword to block the hit before going in low and badly cutting the general's leg. He let out a screech of agony and fell to the grass, his injured calf unable to support his weight any longer. Taneeya tore the spear from his grip before finishing the job, allowing Neil the chance to take a drink of the vulnerary he always kept on him.

"Thanks," Neil told her once he had wiped the excesses of the drink from his lips. The skin surrounding his cut was beginning to tingle, showing that the healing process was starting to take place. He didn't even want to look at it to make sure he was right.

Taneeya didn't say anything, just giving him a simple nod. After that, she seemed to disappear between the figures of the other fighters, off to finish what this battle had started. Neil couldn't help but think that Taneeya was quite the strange creature.

He didn't have time to think much on that though. As his arm finished tingling, he saw a swipe of a sword beside him. His reaction time barely got him away from the blade's dangerously sharp edge. Neil raised his rapier and swatted at the hand gripping it. He picked up the sword and finished it.

Ricola was following Caspian away from the scuffle. She had been watching him with a suspicious eye ever since he joined the party, and she wasn't about to let him leave without answers. She settled on the ground, petting Akasha's mane as they landed. She looked up at Caspian, a glare in her eyes. "If you think that you can leave just like that, you have another thing coming," she told him angrily. "You know full well that we have unfinished business, so you can't just run away now. I won't allow it."

"Who said that I was running away?" asked Caspian, crossing his arms. "I'm just trying to get my friend here to safety. Her escape won't do us any good if Thotia is able to get their hands on her again. Judging by the fact that they were surrounding her when we arrived, I bet that they were pursuing her. I can't let that happen again. I'm finally doing something good for our country, loathe as I am to admit it. Can you please leave me alone for just a moment now that we have the chance to get along?"

"I can't do that," Ricola told him angrily, shooting a glare with the force of seven suns his way. "You know that you and I don't exactly get along well. If nobody else is going to do it, I'll take it onto myself to make sure that you're not causing any trouble. I won't have to get somebody like Lady Dahlia or Lord Cedric hurt because we didn't supervise you well enough."

"Okay, okay, I get it. You can do all you want to make sure that I don't leave, but it's not like I was planning on it anyways. I'm a lot better of a person than you seem to want to give me credit for, you know," Caspian said. "Anyways, let's get a bit further from the scuffle. I don't want them realizing that she got away. They could try and pursue us, which won't be good given the fact that she's not exactly equipped to fight at the moment."

"I'm just wondering who in the world this friend of yours is anyways. Why in the world are we still letting you travel with us? For all we know, you could still be working for Thotia. How do we know that you're not a spy or something?" Ricola asked, drawing her spear. She pointed it at him. "I want to know why you decided to switch sides all of a sudden."

"Alright, alright, I'll tell you," Caspian muttered, shaking his head. "I changed sides after talking to my friend. I can't say who this is until after the fight. It's too dangerous for her name to be mentioned now. You have no idea how many problems that would cause for all of us. I know that you don't like me, but you'll have to trust me on this, even if you never trust me again."

Ricola hesitated before sighing. Her spear was lowered. "Fine. If we learn that you're a traitor at any point though, know that you'll be skewered before you can say that you surrender," she threatened. She mounted Akasha once again and had the pegasus burst into the sky, wings pounding against the brittle and frozen air. Caspian watched her escape from the ground before turning to the woman at his side. She was also looking up at Ricola, though her gaze was laced with something akin to fondness. Caspian chose not to remark on this, instead gripping his axe a little bit tighter. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her now.

The rest of the fight had begun to die down. Since Taneeya had taken care of the leader of the pack, the others were preparing to scatter. More blood littered the snow than ever, which was a chilling sight to say the least. Hisari finished off a speedy myrmidon before surveying the area. "It looks like we're about done," she commented. She landed and hopped off her pegasus.

Syalla swirled around the sky overheard, checking one last time for any remaining survivors. When she saw none, she too landed. She stroked her wyvern gently and looked up at Neil. "I believe we're finished here," she told him.

Neil responded with a curt nod. He didn't see anybody around either. The only person he could see was Ricola. Her spear was still out as she lowered down to be near the group. She didn't have her mount touch down though.

Instead, Ricola glanced around a final time before putting away her spear, though it was still close enough for her to grab it at any moment should Caspian begin to act rebelliously. "Come on. Let's go and see what that fool is up to," she instructed of the group before flying off again. Nobody objected as they began to follow her to where Caspian was set up roughly one hundred yards away from the heat of the battle.

He was standing next to Shioke, stroking his wyvern's scales lightly. The woman with him was nearby, messing with the clasp of her cloak. When everyone had arrived, she pointed at them and let a gentle smile grace her features.

"Alright, Caspian. We've finished off the fight and saved your friend. Can you tell us what's going on now?" Ricola asked harshly.

"Of course. I'm a man of my word," Caspian assured her. With a nod to his friend, she pulled back her hood to reveal a woman's caring features.

She looked to be about the age of Neil's mother, he estimated. She had a regal aura about her. Even if she was dirty due to being held captive by Thotia, her clothing beneath the cloak was still rather expensive. She smiled lightly before dashing over to Dahlia, who was at the front of the party. "Dahlia!" she exclaimed, embracing the young girl tightly.

Dahlia let out a gasp of shock before hugging back. "Mother!" she cried out, embracing the woman in return. Neil could have sworn that he saw tears glistening on her cheek, but he didn't say anything out of fear that she'd get snappy with him.

"Who is this exactly?" asked Hisari, finally joining the group as Cedric embraced the woman in a hug.

"This is the queen of Phazenia," Dahlia explained, not releasing herself from the woman's arms. "This is my mother, Deanna... I'm so glad you're safe... Gods above, I was so worried about you. How did you manage to escape? The Thotians are so intense..."

"It was all thanks to Caspian here," explained Deanna. "He had been assigned to watch over my cell, but he decided that he wanted to free me instead of keep me in Thotia. With his help, I was able to escape. We were heading for the border to escape Phazenia until the war was over, but I'm so glad we ran into you! I've been worried nonstop!"

"I was worried too... I'm so happy you're okay. You could have been hurt so easily," Dahlia murmured. "Are you going to stay with us? We're going to the palace of Xylia."

Deanna shared a quick glance with Caspian before the wyvern rider spoke up. "I don't know if that's a good idea. Queen Deanna could easily be put into more trouble if she ran into Xylia like all you are. Regardless of if there's somebody powerful in the palace like the crown prince, it doesn't change the fact that it would be dangerous for her to go there," he told Dahlia. "I don't know if it would be work chancing something like that."

"What's our other option? We could leave her in a fort near here, but there's a risk factor in that too. She could easily be killed in an attack on a fort, and I doubt that there are many Phazenian guards left that are willing to defend her if many people are part of the Leijona group you mentioned," Cedric pointed out. "Either way, it's dangerous."

"I think that we should bring her with us. As dangerous as it could be, she'll be better off coming with us and having more guards than she will be alone near here in a fort," Dahlia insisted. "I just found her again. I don't want to lose her just as quickly. This war has done enough to us. I won't let it tear apart our family."

"Speaking of family, I feel like I should break this news to you... I don't know where your father is. We were separated in the invasion on the palace. I wish I knew what happened to him, but I don't know. I think that the Thotians are holding him somewhere, but I can't say for sure. I'm sorry, Deanna whispered to Dahlia.

The young woman went tense for a moment or two, but she relaxed not long after. "We'll find him. For now, I'm just glad that three of us are back together. That's better than all being split up like we were," she assured her mother. "We'll find a way to get him back soon. Until then, let's just stick together and try to keep from getting hurt. We don't be any good to Father if we get ourselves killed somewhere along the way."

"I hope that this is going to help to smooth everything over between us," Caspian hissed at Ricola while Dahlia was speaking. "We can't hate each other forever, you know. We're fighting side by side, so we might as well get along."

Ricola chose not to give a reply. Her fingers naturally drifted towards the spear she had nearby, but she didn't seize it in an attempt to show a little bit of respect. Instead, she watched as Dahlia and Cedric grew closer with their mother.

"Why are you heading to Xylia?" Deanna asked next. "I don't know why you'd want to go there. I heard it was the first place to fall to the invasion. It is no doubt flooded with Thotians by this point. Xylia would have to be the most dangerous place on the continent right now."

"That might be the case, but we have to go and find someone in Xylia. The crown prince is still there in the palace. We have to go and help him no matter what," Hisari insisted. "I'm not about to let any harm come to him while we're gone here. That would just be a recipe for disaster."

"Then I guess we're going to Xylia," nodded Deanna. "Hopefully you all will be able to introduce yourselves on the way. If we're going to be traveling together for the time being, it might be best for us to get along well. Arguments will only hinder us in the long run."

"We can do that while we're walking. For now, we just need to cross the border and find somewhere safe to stay," Azin cut in. "We risk being attacked if we remain out in the open like this."

"You're right. Let's keep going," Neil agreed.

Silence covered the party for a while. The sun was beginning to set, but it was easy to see the edge of the snow off in the distance. That meant that they were nearly at the border, closer now than ever. Xylia awaited them, even if it was going to be dangerous. Prince Akamatsu and whatever hell he was with were soon to come.

When the sun finally disappeared in the horizon, the group set up camp. Tents were pitched. Many people were crowded together, but the plus side was that the close contact helped with the lack of heat. Even if they were close to the edge of Phazenia, it was still chilly since they were still in the kingdom's borders.

Dahlia was sitting in the tent she was sharing with Deanna and Cedric. Her brother was out at the moment, off doing whatever it was he did when he was alone. Dahlia didn't mind. She was focused on her mother anyways.

"I hope that you don't mind sleeping on the ground. I'm sorry that it isn't very comfortable," Dahlia said to her mother softly. "You get used to it after a while. It just takes a bit of repetition. Soon enough, you'll be getting to sleep right away." She was quiet for a moment, staring down at her fingers like they had become the most interesting things in the world then. "I know this isn't exactly ideal, but... I'm glad you decided to come with us."

In the moments that followed, Dahlia was shocked into silence. Deanna lunged forwards and wrapped her arms around Dahlia in a tight embrace. "I'm sorry that you have to do all this," she whispered gently. "I'm sorry this is the life you're being forced to lead. It never should have been this way. I wish things could have been different."

Dahlia was frozen at first, unable to say anything in her surprise. After a moment, she hugged her mother back. "It's alright," she assured Deanna. "With the way the war is turning out, I guess it was bound to happen eventually. I'm just happy that we're back together again. And we're going to find Father soon. I can promise you that much."

Deanna stroked her fingers through her daughter's hair silently for a few moments longer. "I'm glad that we're together too," she said softly, pulling Dahlia in a little bit tighter. "I was worried about you, but now that we're here... It's all okay."

"It's all thanks to Caspian... How did you two meet?" Dahlia asked.

"He was the one guarding my cell after Thotia had captured me. I started talking to him. I could sense that he wasn't the hostile type. After a little bit of talking, he began to open up to me. He said that he was being forced to do this since he had to get by. He needed to survive off what he was getting as part of the Leijona working for the Thotian army," Deanna explained. "It took a few days of talking for him to finally come out and explain it all to me. Following that, I convinced him to leave. He decided to take me with him after all I'd done. He was just a lonely young man trying to survive."

"I never would have expected him to be such a softie," Dahlia murmured. "But I guess I can be thankful that he was able to help you out. It's because of him that you're here with us today."

"I'm very thankful for him in that respect. I'm also happy that he met all of you so that we could come together like this," Deanna smiled. "Let's get to sleep soon. I don't want to make you tired with all of this late night talk."

"Alright," Dahlia nodded. She stared down silently before laying back. "Do you... Do you think that we'd be able to stay close tonight? I really missed you all those weeks."

Deanna let an ethereal grin grace her features. She leaned back to lay next to Dahlia, stretching her arms out and pulling her daughter in tight once again. "Of course," she told her daughter. She planted a small kiss on Dahlia's forehead before closing her eyes. "Goodnight."

Dahlia settled backwards and shut her eyes as well. "Goodnight," she said in return before falling asleep. It was the most peaceful slumber she'd had in weeks thanks to her mother's presence.

She couldn't be happier.

* * *

 _ **I have no idea how I typed this chapter. I've been sick for a week and I still cranked this one out.**_

 _ **I don't have much to say here. As of right now, I still haven't played Pokemon Let's Go, so I'm going to go do that. Until next time, I hope you enjoyed!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


	20. Support Conversations (9)

**~ Lydi and Amice ~**

Lydi: Amice, I know you're there already. You don't need to try and hide from me. It's not like you can anyways.

Amice: Hello, Lydi... I'm sorry if I was interrupting something. I think I'm finally ready to talk to you about what's happened to me in the past. I know it's a bit sudden, but...

Lydi: It's fine. Don't worry about it. Go on and get started.

Amice: I never thought I'd be telling this story to anybody, but here we are... My story began with my mother. I don't exactly know the circumstances, but she was alone in raising me. I never knew my father, so I simply assumed he wasn't important. My mother never mentioned him either.

Lydi: I see...

Amice: I was alone with my mother for many years, but that all changed one day when she left me at a priory. She told me that she could no longer take care of me, so I was left behind. She didn't stay there to help raise me alongside the clerics working there. She just left.

Lydi: And you were still working with that church when you came to my little town.

Amice: I was. With my mother gone, I didn't know what else to do with myself. I devoted my life to my work as a priestess, learning light magic and a little bit of healing power along the way. It was the only way I could avoid my own misery.

Lydi: I suppose it ended up being a strong coping mechanism in the end.

Amice: I guess so... I worked with the church up until I came to visit your town. I had heard that the people there needed food and help from whoever was willing to give it, so I figured I might as well be that person for you. I hadn't ever been out on an expedition like this before, but I was eager to see the world, so I took the chance.

Lydi: You're a lot more ambitious than I originally took you for, Amice.

Amice: You think so?

Lydi: Even if I was offering to let you talk to me, I never thought that you'd take me up on it. I figured you'd curl up and sit with your own misery instead of letting it out. I'm impressed.

Amice: I-I'm glad to have impressed you... And Lydi?

Lydi: Yes?

Amice: If you ever need somebody to talk to about what you've seen in the past, I'll always be here to talk to. That's a promise. It's the least I can do after you were so kind to me.

Lydi: I don't know if I'll want to talk anytime soon, but if I feel ready... You'll be the first person I go to.

 **~ Lydi and Amice have attained support level A ~**

* * *

 **~ Dahlia and Cedric ~**

Cedric: Dahlia, I'm glad I found you. I think that we need to talk about this.

Dahlia: Talk about what?

Cedric: What you said last time you were together. Did you really think that I hated you?

Dahlia: You had me pretty fooled, yeah.

Cedric: But how could you feel like that? I'm your older brother. Siblings shouldn't be hating each other.

Dahlia: But it seemed like you were managing to do that just fine...

Cedric: I really don't hate you. Can you at least believe me on that?

Dahlia: Sure, I suppose. How do you really feel about me, Cedric? If you don't hate me, how do you feel?

Cedric: Before we get into that, I want to know what made you think I hated you in the first place.

Dahlia: You were always so hard on me! I thought that you were just out to make me suffer with how you trained me. Can you blame me?

Cedric: I had no idea I was making you feel that way.

Dahlia: That's so like you. It seems like you aren't aware of people's feelings as much as you should be. Maybe that's the reason that Father chose me to inherit the throne over you, even if I'm older.

Cedric: Dahlia-!

Dahlia: I'm sorry. That might have crossed a line... You really didn't seem to be thinking of how I felt about your harsh training methods though. Did you ever stop to think that maybe my frustrations didn't come from me being a spoiled brat? Did you ever imagine that maybe it was because you were simply being too rough on me?

Cedric: I suppose not...

Dahlia: Why were you always like that? Why were you so rough with me when there were so many other things you could have done?

Cedric: I guess that was just because o

* * *

f how Father trained me.

Dahlia: That's right. He's the strongest knight in all of Phazenia, so you had to put up with the hardships that came with his training.

Cedric: He never held back one bit with me, and so I guess I let that out on you.

Dahlia: I think it's as clear as day that you were doing that...

Cedric: I'm sorry, Dahlia. That was never my intention.

Dahlia: I think it was pretty obvious that wasn't your intention, but it happened anyways, didn't it?

Cedric: I swear to you that I didn't mean-

Dahlia: I know you didn't, but it still hurt a lot, Cedric.

Cedric: I'll try to be easier on you in the future. Will that make you feel a little bit better?

Dahlia: Maybe. We'll see. I just know that I have a few other things to take care of. I was going to spar with Neil for a little while before we went out to keep fighting. I'll be on my way now, if that's okay with you.

Cedric: Alright... I suppose I'll be seeing you later then...

 **~ Dahlia and Cedric have attained support level B ~**

* * *

 **~ Ricola and Caspian ~**

Caspian: Hey there, Ricola. I was just wondering if we could-

Ricola: Talk? I refuse to talk to anybody like you.

Caspian: Listen, okay? I know that you hate me. I deserve it. The least you can do is open up a little bit and listen to what I have to say. I'm sure that it'll help you feel at least a little better about the whole situation, even if the difference is only marginal.

Ricola: Don't hold your breath. I don't think I'll ever be able to get along with you. You have committed horrible crimes that I cannot forgive.

Caspian: We all make mistakes. I should know. I've made a lot of them in my time. However, you also need to know that people can learn from their mistakes. I'm trying to do that, regardless of if I end up being successful or not. You can at least try to appreciate that, right?

Ricola: I'm afraid not. It will take more than shallow words to get me to forgive you after all that you have done. I'm warning you in advance that it won't ever happen if things continue the way they've been going so far. In fact, I think that I've spoken to you for long enough. If you'd be willing to excuse me, I have to be on my way.

Caspian: Hold it, will you?! I'm trying to apologize for what I've done, but you won't even hear me out!

Ricola: And why should I?! You killed my father! I saw you kill him! You remember seeing me!

Caspian: I was being manipulated into doing this! I didn't originally mean to hurt anybody!

Ricola: I have no reason to believe that. I should go and take care of anything Lady Dahlia asks of me. If you don't mind, I'll be on my way.

Caspian: Can you at least listen a little bit? Give me two minutes.

Ricola: Will you leave me alone after these two minutes?

Caspian: Fine, yes. I wasn't going to join the Leijona, but I needed money. I had no other choice if I wanted to survive. I didn't want to break into your house. The other members of my group wanted to drag me into it against my will.

Ricola: Okay, sure. I'll believe that when pigs finally fly.

Caspian: I let them go along with me. In order to get money, they demanded that I come with them. I should have seen that they weren't the best people in the world. They manipulated me into killing him so that I could survive. They should have just helped me get by without doing such horrible deeds. They used me as a tool to get revenge against the nobles of Phazenia. I didn't want to do anything like that.

Ricola: You've had your time. I'm going to go now. I have better things to do than talk to you.

Caspian: Wait, Ricola! *sigh* Of course she's gone... What else did I expect?

 **~ Ricola and Caspian have attained support level B ~**

* * *

 _ **It's crazy to think that this is my last update of 2018. Dang.**_

 _ **I'm hoping to get a lot more done in general, both with my stories and other things, this year. I'm going to work on a few more forensics pieces this year, try and beat a few more Fire Emblem games (as of now, I've only beaten Path of Radiance, Awakening, Echoes, and the three Fates paths, which really isn't many in a series of 15, though I am most of the way through Radiant Dawn and I'm working on Blazing Sword), and publish a few more stories!**_

 _ **I'm going to try and get further with both this story and my Digimon story. Quiet after the Hurricane is set to end on April 11th, the fourth anniversary of the series, and after that, its sequel, Secrets beneath Secrets, will be released. I'm also in the process of planning an Octopath Traveler story alongside a few of my friends, so that will also hopefully be up in the new year.**_

 _ **Unfortunately, one thing I can't exactly say about the new year is when the other stories of mine will be finished. Evolution Adventure is turning out to be a lot more of a slow burn than I originally anticipated, so that chapter count is probably going to increase considerably. This story will have around thirty chapters in the main story along with roughly five or six paralogues. The supports will only drag that on because of how many there are in this.**_

 _ **I'm working on it though, and that's what matters, right?**_

 _ **Anyways, I'll be seeing you all around next year. I hope you've enjoyed what's come in this past year!**_

 _ **-Digital**_


End file.
